Cubs at Cardinals
The Chicago Cubs’ starting pitchers have been digging early holes lately, and the offense hasn’t been effective enough to climb out. The Cubs hope right-hander Kyle Hendricks can turn around their pitching woes and the bats can give him some support when they try to salvage the finale of a three-game road series against the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday.
St. Louis did all their scoring in the first inning of Saturday’s 6-2 victory, including Marcell Ozuna’s grand slam off left-hander Jose Quintana. That was plenty of offense to beat the Cubs, who have scored two or fewer runs in five of their past six contests and miss having slugging third baseman Kris Bryant (shoulder) in the lineup. The win assured the Cardinals of their first series win since taking two of three at Arizona from July 2-4. The Cardinals have won nine of 15 meetings this season and can clinch the season series with one more win, but they’re still seven games behind the first-place Cubs in the National League Central.
TV: 8:05 p.m. ET, ESPN
PITCHING MATCHUP: Cubs RH Kyle Hendricks (6-9, 4.05 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH John Gant (3-3, 3.44)
Hendricks has just one win over his last seven starts and has posted a 5.20 ERA over that span. The 28-year-old matched his season-high with eight strikeouts last time out, but he needed 106 pitches to get through five innings, allowing three runs in a loss to Arizona. Hendricks is 3-2 with a 3.58 ERA in 12 starts against the Cardinals.
Gant has bounced between the bullpen and the rotation, and he has put together a few strong spot starts for the Cardinals. The 25-year-old threw five scoreless innings in a no-decision against the Cubs in his last start July 21, but he gave up a two-run homer in an inning of relief work Wednesday at Cincinnati. Gant is 0-1 with a 1.93 ERA in two starts against the Cubs.
WALK-OFFS
1. Chicago 2B Javier Baez has five homers against the Cardinals this season, including four at Busch Stadium.
2. Cardinals C Yadier Molina is 11-for-27 during a six-game hitting streak.
3. Cubs 1B Anthony Rizzo is 10-for-17 in his last five games against the Cardinals