Jeff Samardzija pitches first career complete game shutout as Cubs win 7-0 over White Sox

Jeff Samardzija was brilliant as he pitched his first career complete game shutout and led the Cubs to a 7-0 win over their crosstown rival, the Chicago White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field on a cool Memorial Day evening.

Jeff Samardzija pitched his first career complete game shutout on Monday against the White Sox (Chicago Sun-Times photo)

The "Shark" allowed just two hits and struck out eight and walked two batters over nine innings pitched and 108 pitches thrown.  Samardzija is the first Cubs starter to pitch a shutout since former Cub Randy Wells did so on August 29. 2011 against the San Francisco Giants.

Samardzija said, "I love this place.  I loved coming to watch games here as a kid.  I loved watching these guys play here, so to come here, and have my whole family here, 30 minutes from home, from my backyard, it's fun.  I love being here, I love the atmosphere.  I love these games against the White Sox, they're always fun.  Unfortunately, they cut [the series] down to four -- this is what baseball is all about, these rivalry games.  It's just fun, this is what you play for."  He also added, "I love competing against that team, they're a great group of guys who play hard, and I admire them a lot -- it was just fun."

Cubs manager Dale Sveum said, "That kind of stuff, 97 [mph] from the first pitch to the last pitch, whatever he threw, you're not going to see that too often in the big leagues."

Julio Borbon hit his first homer and Anthony Rizzo had a double and a triple and drove in two runs.  Rizzo said, "Just to put runs on the board and keep adding on, and two-out hits, it's nice for the entire team, the pitching staff, our coaches -- it was a nice, easy win."

In other Cubs news, the team placed right handed reliever Kyuji Fujikawa on the 15-day disabled list  with a right forearm strain.  The Cubs also claimed right-handed pitcher Alex Burnett off waivers from the Baltimore Orioles, who takes Fujikawa's spot on the roster.

The Cubs and Sox will play the second game of the four game Crosstown Classic series tomorrow night at 7:10pm CT on the South Side.  Edwin Jackson will start for the Cubs and try to earn his second win of the season.