The fickle nature of baseball has been on display the past two nights at Wrigley Field, where the Chicago Cubs and the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks have split their first two meetings in opposite fashion. The Diamondbacks answered Chicago’s 16-4 rout in the opener with a 3-0 victory, setting up the rubber match Thursday afternoon.
The Cubs slugged five home runs in Tuesday’s lopsided victory before being shut out on three hits Wednesday. They face a tall task trying to get the offense back on track against right-hander Zack Greinke, who went undefeated in five July starts. Chicago sends left-hander Jose Quintana to the mound in search of his third win in four starts since being acquired from the Chicago White Sox. The Cubs maintained their 2 1/2-game lead over Milwaukee in the National League Central when the Brewers lost 5-4 to St. Louis on Wednesday, while the Diamondbacks pulled ahead of Colorado by a half game for the top NL wild card spot.
TV: 2:20 p.m. ET, MLB Network, FSN Arizona, CSN Chicago
PITCHING MATCHUP: Diamondbacks RH Zack Greinke (13-4, 2.84 ERA) vs. Cubs LH Jose Quintana (6-9, 4.16)
Greinke hasn’t lost since June 20, winning his last five decisions while posting a 2.08 ERA over his last six outings. The 33-year-old was dominant at St. Louis on Saturday, striking out nine and allowing one run and four hits over seven innings. Greinke is 4-3 with a 4.02 ERA in nine starts against the Cubs.
Quintana has posted three straight quality starts since moving across town, going 2-1 with a 2.37 ERA in his first three outings for the Cubs. The 28-year-old suffered a tough-luck loss at Milwaukee on Friday, as he allowed two runs and four hits over six innings in a 2-1 defeat. Quintana is 0-2 with a 9.58 ERA in two starts against Arizona, including an outing earlier this season with the White Sox in which he was shelled for eight runs in 4 1/3 innings.
WALK-OFFS
1. Diamondbacks 3B Jake Lamb snapped a 1-for-21 skid with two doubles and three RBIs Wednesday and is batting .343 with five extra-base hits and 11 RBIs in 10 career games against Chicago.
2. Cubs C Willson Contreras, who struck out as a pinch-hitter Wednesday to snap his 16-game on-base streak, is expected to be back in the lineup Thursday.
3. Arizona RHP Fernando Rodney pitched a perfect ninth inning Wednesday to convert his first save opportunity since July 7.