Cardinals at Cubs
Runs can be tough to come by at Wrigley Field this time of year, and that’s bad news for a Chicago Cubs team that has struggled at the plate. The Cubs face the tall task of getting their offense going against promising right-hander Luke Weaver when they wrap up a two-game set against the visiting St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday afternoon.
The Cubs have only one victory when scoring fewer than five runs and are averaging 1.75 in their eight losses compared to 8.7 in their seven wins. That includes a 5-3 defeat on Tuesday that pushed the Cardinals’ winning streak to five games and snapped their five-game skid at Wrigley. Javier Baez recorded three of the Cubs’ six hits in the loss, including a two-run homer in the eighth inning. Ten of Baez’s 12 hits have gone for extra bases, and his 16 RBIs are twice as many as any one else on Chicago's roster.
TV: 2:20 p.m. ET, MLB Network, FS Midwest (St. Louis), ABC 7 (Chicago)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Cardinals RH Luke Weaver (2-0, 2.08 ERA) vs. Cubs LH Jon Lester (1-0, 4.40)
Weaver is showing why he was one of the top pitching prospects in baseball, as he has followed an outstanding spring with three strong starts to begin the regular season. The 24-year-old has allowed four runs over 17 1/3 innings and has struck out seven in each of his last two turns. Weaver is 0-1 with a 12.86 ERA in two starts against the Cubs.
Lester is off to a bumpy start with one excellent outing sandwiched between two subpar efforts. The 34-year-old allowed four runs and seven hits over five innings in a no-decision against Pittsburgh last time out, but he generated 14 swinging strikes. Lester is 5-4 with a 2.30 ERA in 14 career starts versus St. Louis.
WALK-OFFS
1. Cardinals CF Tommy Pham is 11-for-23 during his six-game hitting streak, but he’s 3-for-14 lifetime versus Lester.
2. The Cubs have been hit by a pitch in seven straight games – the club’s longest streak since at least 1908 – and lead the league with 17 hit batters this season.
3. St. Louis INF Matt Carpenter notched two hits on Tuesday to snap a 1-for-14 skid, but he is 5-for-34 with 11 strikeouts against Lester.