Cubs at Diamondbacks
The Chicago Cubs might have found something with Junior Lake. The rookie sensation looks to guide the Cubs to a series win when they visit the floundering Arizona Diamondbacks in the finale of a four-game series Thursday. The Diamondbacks have lost five of their last seven games, including a 12-inning marathon on Wednesday, to drop 1 1/2 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers for first place in the National League West.
Lake gives the Chicago fans something to cheer about as another round of rumors swirls about every veteran player on the roster with the trade deadline approaching. The 23-year-old Lake is 9-for-15 in the series and has hit safely in each of his first six games in the majors. Arizona’s bright spot is Paul Goldschmidt, who hit a three-run homer Wednesday and leads the NL with a career-high 83 RBIs.
TV: 9:40 p.m. ET, WGN (Chicago), FSN Arizona
PITCHING MATCHUP: Cubs RH Carlos Villanueva (2-6, 4.16 ERA) vs. Diamondbacks LH Wade Miley (6-8, 4.03)
Villanueva is winless in three starts since returning to the rotation July 7 and was roughed up for seven runs on nine hits in four innings to lose at Colorado on Saturday. The Dominican right-hander issued a season-high four walks and did not record a strikeout in that turn. Villanueva made a pair of scoreless relief appearances against Arizona earlier this season and is 1-1 with a 1.69 ERA in 11 career games (no starts) versus the Diamondbacks.
Miley had gone eight innings in back-to-back wins before the All-Star break but lasted only four inning while allowing two runs in Saturday's loss at San Francisco. The Louisiana native has been charged with three or fewer runs in each his last nine starts. Miley was lit up by Chicago for seven runs on seven hits - three home runs - in seven innings of a May 31 loss.
WALK-OFFS
1. Cubs LF Alfonso Soriano gave the club a list of teams for which he would waive his no-trade clause, including the New York Yankees.
2. Goldschmidt is 5-for-10 with five RBIs in the series.
3. Chicago RF Nate Schierholtz homered in each of the last two games and has 42 RBIs, eclipsing his previous career high of 41.