Braves at Cubs
The Atlanta Braves return to Chicago to face the Cubs on Monday for a make-up game after a mid-April rainout, and they roll into town atop the National League East while owning one of the best records in baseball. The Braves’ last game at Wrigley Field featured the Cubs scoring nine times in the eighth inning in a wild 14-10 victory, but Atlanta is 16-9 since with a staff ERA of 3.69 after taking three of four in Miami to move nine games above .500 for the first time since July 29, 2014.
Sean Newcomb gave up one hit in six shutout innings of Sunday’s 4-3 win, the Braves’ 10th victory in their past 14 games as Atlanta pitchers have posted a 2.95 ERA in that span while averaging 9.1 strikeouts per game. Chicago entered Sunday having won five games in a row, which followed a five-game losing streak that came after another five-game winning streak, and right on cue lost to the White Sox 5-3. Chicago had scored 50 runs in its previous five games before Sunday, but finished with just three hits in losing at home for just the third time in its past 14 games. Second baseman Javier Baez, who came into Sunday leading the NL in RBIs with 34, drove in two more Sunday on a first-inning single.
TV: 2:20 p.m. ET, MLB Network, FS Southeast (Atlanta), WGN (Chicago)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Braves RH Julio Teheran (3-1, 3.14 ERA) vs. Cubs LH Jose Quintana (4-2, 4.42)
Like most of Atlanta’s starting rotation, Teheran has pitched very well in his past few starts, giving up only three runs over 23 innings across his past four outings. He fired six shutout innings Wednesday at Tampa Bay with no walks and seven strikeouts, six days after carrying a no-hitter into the seventh inning in holding the New York Mets to two hits and no runs. Teheran, who has a 0.86 WHIP in his past five starts, is 2-1 with a 3.09 ERA in seven career starts against Chicago.
Quintana has settled down after a rough three-start stretch, posting a 0.53 ERA and a .197 opponents batting average in his past three outings, striking out 16 in 17 innings. That is far better than his first four outings, when the 29-year-old surrendered four runs or more three times, including allowing seven with four walks in 2 1/3 innings against the Braves on April 14. Quintana beat Miami on Wednesday, giving up one run on five hits in six innings.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Cubs stole a season-high five bases Sunday, including two by LF Kyle Schwarber, who began the day with four steals in 231 career games.
2. Atlanta OF Preston Tucker is 6-for-14 as a pinch-hitter this season, and delivered a RBI single off the bench in the ninth inning Sunday.
3. After Monday’s make-up game, the Cubs will follow the Braves to Atlanta to open a three-game series Tuesday.