The Cubs cannot be stopped. Just ask the AL Central-leading White Sox, who just got swept in their cross-town series over the weekend.

So what if Alfonso Soriano and Carlos Zambrano are out? The Small Bears remain fierce. They moved 20 games over .500 by drubbing the White Sox.

If the White Sox had an inferiority complex before this series – and it appears they did, given all their sniping at the Cubs – then they must really be reeling today.

Here was how ever-reasonable Jay Mariotti of the Chicago Sun-Times saw it:

“The White Sox tried their damndest to provoke ill will all weekend, acting like mannerless rubes bent on insulting and tweaking Cubdom every way possible. But the silly onslaught of South Side verbal exhaust - A.J. Pierzynski referred to Cubs fans as ‘idiots,’ John Danks claimed Wrigley reeks of urine, Ozzie Guillen said the shrine is infested with rats and dissed Jim Edmonds - didn’t result in any on-field mayhem in the finale of the Crossdown Showdown, Act One. In fact, all it did was further shame the Sox, who managed more cheap shots than runs in a three-game no-show that exposed their vulnerabilities as serious contenders.”

Here are some of the insults Jay referred to:

Guillen: “The rats look bigger than a pig out there. You want to take a look? I think the rats out there are lifting weights.”

Pierzynski, on Cubs fans: “They’re idiots. It’s like what Lee Elia said: ‘Eighty-five percent of the people work, the other [bleeps] come out here.’”

Danks, on the Wrigley ambiance: “Try not to smell all the urine over there . . . That place is a [bleep] hole.”

Nice chatter, White Sox, but next time you might want to back it up by doing something on the field.

The Cubs not only countered by winning, they also threw back some quips of their own about the White Sox. “I imagine there’s rats in their bullpens out there, too,” reliever Scott Eyre told the Sun-Times. “But I just don’t see them. Maybe their fans eat the rats, who knows?”

By the way, Tipsheet does not believe this video further the rivalry at all:

MYSTERIES OF THE UNIVERSE

Questions to ponder while wondering when Joel Pineiro will actually get a “W” for one of these terrific outings:

• After getting in and out of trouble, again, did Jason Isringhausen regain his old form Sunday?
• When was the last time the Cards had nine rookies make their major league debut in one season – before the all-star break?
• Will Brendan Ryan take the shortstop job in Cesar Izturis’ absence and run with it?
• Where would Jason Varitek be today had he not ducked under Chris Duncan’s charge home?
• Will Matt Clement ever locate his missing fastball? And if he can’t, will he ever return to the big leagues without it?

QUIPS ‘R US

Here is what some of America’s leading sports pundits have been writing:

Greg Cote, Miami Herald: “I’m not saying I absolutely knew Dale Earnhardt Jr. was going to end his winless streak last week in Michigan, but I had a pretty good idea when I saw Dick Bavetta tinkering with his carburetor before the race.”

Dan Daly, Washington Times: “A total of 22 people were arrested in Boston on Tuesday night as the city celebrated the Celtics’ 17th NBA title. Among the 22, I would hope, was Any Laker Who Had Anything To Do With Boston’s 131-92 Blowout Win In Game 6.”

Mike Bianchi, Orlando Sentinel: “How humdrum will the next two Tigerless majors be? Let’s put it this way: the British Open might as well be the Yiddish Open, and the PGA Championship should just change its name to the MIA Championship.”

Mike Lupica, New York Daily News: “Phil Jackson did so much scribbling during timeouts in Game 6, I thought he was making diary entries. Or starting a to-do list about finding players who don’t think playing defense is some sort of parttime job.”

T.J. Simers, Los Angeles Times, on the Dodgers struggles: “ ‘In this division we can win five games in a row and rearrange the furniture,’ (Joe) Torre said, and I don’t know why it is, but the Titanic comes to mind. Every time Torre writes in the name of Angel Berroa at shortstop, I wonder how often he thinks about Derek Jeter. You want to be known as a really great manager, win with Berroa at short.”

Dwight Perry, Seattle Times: “The London Daily Telegraph reports that Cardiff University psychologist Cliff Arnall, armed with a mathematical formula, has declared June 20 to be the happiest day of the year. Oh, yeah? Try telling that to Curt Schilling’s shoulder.”

MEGAPHONE

“There really is no other way to describe the Lakers’ performance in Game 6 other than to say it was pathetic. It was a complete embarrassment to go into a game of that magnitude and not compete. There is absolutely no excuse for that, and it legitimately calls into question the character of some of their players.”

Former Lakers star Gail Goodrich, carving up the current team for the Los Angeles Daily News.