Mets at Cubs
Daniel Murphy has hit the ground running since joining the Chicago Cubs, going 9-for-23 with two homers, five RBIs and five runs scored during a five-game hitting streak. Murphy looks to further ingratiate himself to the Windy City faithful while tormenting one of his former clubs on Monday as the Cubs (76-53) vie for their sixth straight win in the opener a three-game series against the visiting New York Mets (58-72).
Murphy recorded his fourth multi-hit performance since being acquired from Washington as Chicago completed a four-game sweep of Cincinnati with a resounding 9-0 romp on Sunday. The 33-year-old is 6-for-14 with two homers, eight RBIs and four runs scored against New York this season, although he is just 4-for-18 in his career versus Monday starter Noah Syndergaard. While the Cubs' winning streak has them four games ahead of St. Louis in the National League Central, the Mets enjoyed back-to-back 3-0 victories versus Washington before getting shellacked to the tune of 15-0 in the series finale on Sunday. Jeff McNeil is riding an 11-game hitting streak, but his availability for the series opener was not immediately known as he is nursing a tight right quad.
TV: 8:05 p.m. ET, SNY (New York), NBCS Chicago
PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets RH Noah Syndergaard (9-3, 3.38 ERA) vs. Cubs LH Jon Lester (14-5, 3.64)
Syndergaard posted his third win in four outings with arguably his best start this month on Wednesday, as he allowed two runs on five hits over six innings of a 5-3 victory versus San Francisco. The 25-year-old owns a 1-1 mark with a 2.00 ERA in three career starts against the Cubs, however he will be facing the club for the first time since 2016. Syndergaard has flustered Anthony Rizzo (1-for-7, four strikeouts) in his career.
Lester answered a disastrous start on Aug. 11 with two stellar ones, as he struck out eight and scattered five hits over six innings of a 1-0 triumph at Pittsburgh five days later before allowing one run across 5 2/3 innings of an 8-2 rout at Detroit on Wednesday. The 34-year-old aims to keep the good times rolling versus the Mets, as he surrendered two hits over seven frames in a 2-0 win on June 3 to improve his mark against the club to an impressive 6-1 with a 3.26 ERA in eight career starts. Lester has stymied Jay Bruce (3-for-26) and Jose Reyes (6-for-34), although Wilmer Flores has gotten his licks in by going 5-for-13 with three homers versus the hurler.
WALK-OFFS
1. Chicago has homered in a season-high 11 straight contests overall and went deep in three of four encounters during the team's sweep of New York on May 31-June 3.
2. Mets OF Brandon Nimmo (finger) is expected to be activated from the 10-day disabled list on Monday.
3. Cubs LF Kyle Schwarber, who has gone deep in back-to-back contests overall, went 5-for-12 with a homer, five RBIs and three runs scored in the previous series against New York.