Cubs at Reds
After rain washed out Saturday's matinee, the Chicago Cubs will try to
wrap up a two-game sweep when they play at Cincinnati on Sunday
afternoon. The Cubs took the opener Friday night in 11 innings by a 7-3
margin and had standout right-hander Jake Arrieta lined up to go in the
second game of the series, but nature intervened.
Both teams sat through hours of rain delays before the game was finally called, pushing Arrieta and Reds rookie Anthony DeSclafani to Sunday's series finale, with no make-up date announced. The two hurlers already met April 14 in Wrigley Field, when DeSclafani outdueled Arrieta with seven scoreless innings, part of a 15-inning scoreless streak. That is the lone victory for Cincinnati in four meetings between the National League Central rivals and two of Chicago's three wins have come in extra innings. Anthony Rizzo was the tone-setter in Friday's triumph by going 3-for-4 with a home run, a walk and the go-ahead run scored in the 11th, and he has reached base safely in 28 of his last 52 plate appearances.
TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, WGN (Chicago), FSN Ohio (Cincinnati)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Cubs RH Jake Arrieta (2-1, 1.74 ERA) vs. Reds RH Anthony DeSclafani (2-0, 0.86)
Arrieta is 16-8 with a 2.71 ERA in 37 starts since joining Chicago last season after dominating Pittsburgh on Monday. He limited the Pirates to a run on four hits in seven innings while striking out seven and getting through a start without a walk for the first time in 2015. In addition to being outdueled by DeSclafani earlier this month, the 29-year-old gave up six runs on six hits and four walks in four frames in his only prior start in Cincinnati last season.
DeSclafani followed up his win at Wrigley Field with an even crisper outing at Milwaukee on Monday, yielding two singles in eight scoreless innings. He has let up just nine hits in 21 frames overall and only four in his scoreless stretch. In his career, DeSclafani is 0-2 with a 7.31 ERA at home, compared to 4-0 with a 0.70 mark on the road.
WALK-OFFS
1. Reds CF Billy Hamilton stole three bases in the series opener and leads the majors with 12.
2. Cubs 3B Kris Bryant has six RBIs and five runs scored over a five-game stretch.
3. Cincinnati RF Jay Bruce is 0-for-11 with seven strikeouts over his last three games.