Yankees at Cubs
Starlin Castro has enjoyed his return to Wrigley Field, and he and his New York Yankees teammates have a chance to wrap up a three-game sweep of the host Chicago Cubs on Sunday. Castro was 3-for-4 with a homer and three RBIs in Saturday’s 11-6 win, helping the Yankees claim their fourth straight victory and maintain their half-game lead over Baltimore in the American League East.
The Cubs have dropped two straight following a three-game winning streak to fall into a tie with Cincinnati atop the National League Central. Chicago could use a deep outing from veteran left-hander Jon Lester after starter Brett Anderson was unable to escape the first inning Saturday. Lester will be facing longtime rival New York for the first time since 2014, but he has matched up with them 29 times in his career, going 13-6 with a 3.78 ERA. He will have his hands full with a red-hot Yankees lineup that has scored 33 runs during its four-game winning streak and has belted 20 home runs over the past eight contests.
TV: 8:05 p.m. ET, ESPN
PITCHING MATCHUP: Yankees RH Luis Severino (2-2, 3.86 ERA) vs. Cubs LH Jon Lester (1-1, 3.67)
Severino is looking to bounce back from his roughest outing of the season after allowing five runs over 5 2/3 innings in a loss to Toronto on Monday. The 23-year-old was dominant at times in his three previous starts, compiling 27 strikeouts over three quality starts, including seven scoreless innings at Boston on April 26. Severino has been especially tough on left-handed batters, who are hitting .179 against him.
Lester returned to the win column Tuesday by beating Philadelphia, but he was not at his best. The 33-year-old issued a season-high five walks and gave up a homer for the third consecutive start, allowing three runs (two earned) over five innings. Lester has been outstanding at Wrigley Field over the past two seasons, going 11-2 with a 1.71 ERA in 18 starts.
WALK-OFFS1. Castro (18-for-39) and OF Brett Gardner (14-for-39) extended their hitting streaks to nine games Saturday.
2. Cubs 2B/OF Ben Zobrist is 10-for-34 during his own nine-game hitting streak.
3. Yankees OF Jacoby Ellsbury (elbow) has not started since Monday but could return to the lineup to face Lester, against whom he is 5-for-10 with a double and a triple.