CHICAGO – Derrek Lee waited nearly a week to get back in the batter’s box. When he did, he rescued the Cubs with one swing.

Lee, who’d missed the five previous games with neck spasms, punctuated a six-run eighth inning with a pinch-hit grand slam to lead another Cubs comeback, sending the White Sox to a staggering 11-6 defeat.

On Friday, the Cubs rallied for a 6-3 victory, using a passed ball to score the go-ahead run in a two-out, three-run seventh-inning rally.

After Paul Konerko homered leading off the top of the eighth Saturday against Bob Howry (1-3) to put the White Sox up 6-5, the Cubs quickly responded.

David Aardsma (2-1), traded from the Cubs to the White Sox in the offseason, immediately gave up a leadoff triple to Ryan Theriot in the bottom of the inning. After Theriot surprisingly held third as pinch-hitter Cliff Floyd grounded to second, Alfonso Soriano lined an RBI single to tie the game.

Soriano raced home with the go-ahead run as Aramis Ramirez hit another triple in nearly the same spot as Theriot’s – in the right field corner. Aardsma intentionally walked Daryle Ward before Michael Barrett lined a ball off Aardsma for a single to load the bases.

When the left-handed Boone Logan relieved, Lee was sent in as a pinch-hitter and drove a pitch over the wall in right center to send the Cubs fans among a crowd of 41,101 at Wrigley Field into a tizzy. Before the game, Cubs manager Lou Piniella said Lee would probably not play until next week.

White Sox starter Javier Vazquez allowed five hits and five runs in seven innings. The bullpen meltdown cost him a chance for his first win since April 13.

Joe Crede, another struggling member of a White Sox offense that entered the game last in the AL in batting and runs scored, hit a two-run homer off Jason Marquis to tie the game at 5-5 in the sixth. Crede also had a single after missing Friday’s game when a batting practice grounder hopped up and hit him in the mouth.

Marquis, who’d been roughed up by the White Sox last season while pitching for St. Louis, allowed seven hits and five runs in six innings. He also hit a two-run homer in the fifth inning off Vazquez that gave the Cubs a 5-3 lead. Earlier in the inning Barrett’s second homer in as many games tied the game at 3-3.

Marquis didn’t yield a hit Saturday until A.J. Pierzynski opened the fourth with a single. Jermaine Dye followed with a double and after Marquis got Konerko on a bouncer to third, he gave up consecutive RBI singles to Rob Mackowiak, Iguchi and Crede to make it 3-2.

The Cubs got two off Vazquez in the second as Ramirez singled and scored on Ward’s double to the wall in right center. An infield out moved Ward to third and Jacque Jones hit a sacrifice fly.

Notes: White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said he’s changed his mind and won’t start veteran Jose Contreras on three days rest Sunday. Instead, rookie reliever Nick Masset will make his first major league start. … Game-time temperature was 77 degrees – 18 degrees warmer than Friday – with a 14 mph wind blowing out. … While pitching for the Cardinals against the White Sox last June, Marquis gave up 13 runs and 14 hits, including four homers, in just five innings.

AP-ES-05-19-07 1914EDT