Probable Pitching Matchups
Courtesy of MLB.com
Monday at 2:20pm EDT – Travis Wood vs. Jeff Suppan
Wood deserved better in his last start, giving up two hits over 5 2/3 innings against the Astros. Said Dale Sveum: “I know he’s gone through some adversity through all this and he’s had two really impressive starts for us.” Suppan gave up five runs on eight hits in a 6-3 loss to the Cardinals in his previous start. The 37-year-old Suppan, who walked four in 4 2/3 innings, will be making his 417th career start.
Tuesday at 2:20pm EDT – Jeff Samardzija vs. Eric Stults
Samardzija will be happy to be back at Wrigley Field, where he’s 2-1 with a 1.52 ERA in four starts. He’s coming off a tough-luck loss to the Astros, though he’d posted a quality start. His only problem has been high pitch counts. Stults won his first game with the Padres, allowing one unearned run on four hits over five innings against the Mets on Thursday. Stults would have stayed in the game longer but he took a line drive to the back of his left biceps.
Wednesday at 2:20p EDT – Ryan Dempster vs. Anthony Bass
Dempster is still looking for his first win since last Aug. 11, and has gone 17 starts without a “W.” He held the Pirates to one run in his last outing, yet took the loss. His ERA ranks among the NL leaders. Bass was roughed up by the Mets in his last start, as he allowed six runs on eight hits in 5 1/3 innings, with three walks and four strikeouts. But he said he felt the best he has all season, and the Mets capitalized on every mistake he made.
Miscellaneous Nuggets
Regarding the Losing Streak
- This drought is one of just seven losing streaks in franchise history to reach at least 12 games and just the 15th double-digit losing streak in club history … it is the longest skid since the Cubs dropped their first 14 games of the 1997 campaign, which also represents the longest losing streak in franchise history
- This current 12-game skid has featured six one-run losses, seven games in which the Cubs have scored two runs or less and four games allowing three runs or less.
- Of the Cubs previous six losing streaks of 12 or more games, four streaks were stopped at home and two were snapped on the road … the 14-gamer to start the 1997 campaign was ended in the second game of a doubleheader at New York on April 20 (4-3 win) while the 13-game drought from June 12-25, 1985 was snapped vs. New York at Wrigley Field on June 26 (7-3 win).
Other Nuggets
- Starlin Castro’s RBI triple to score David DeJesus from second base in the 5th inning Saturday snapped an 0-for-26 drought with runners in scoring position for the club … the Cubs are 3-for-their-last-36 with runners in scoring position in their last six games.
- Chicago has combined to score 75 runs in the club’s 15 wins (5.0 runs per win), and combined to score 86 runs in 32 losses this season (2.7 runs per loss).
