The Chicago Cubs are up to six straight wins, and today they’ll go for seven, plus a second straight series sweep.
The team’s most consistently excellent starting pitcher is on the mound in Kyle Hendricks, and, even as everyone recognizes that the guy is simply really good, there is always a point at which a clunker start sneaks in. I’ll confess, I keep waiting for it to happen to Hendricks, and, going on a couple months, it just hasn’t happened. It makes his recent run all the more incredible – it is Arrieta-like in that way. No, I’m not saying 2016 Hendricks is as dominant as 2015 Arrieta. Instead, I’m saying that during Arrieta’s crazy run last year, I found myself waiting and waiting for that clunker start to come – because it happens to everyone! – and it just didn’t come.
On the bump for the A’s, lefty Sean Manaea is enjoying an OK, not-terrible rookie campaign. If you chop off his initial month, where the struggle was apparently real, he actually has been really good for the past two months.
That said, he sports some seriously dramatic splits this year (lefties are hitting just .181/.237/.296, whereas righties are teeing off to the tune of .287/.335/.490), and he’s going to see a lineup today loaded with righties.[adinserter block=”1″]
Game Info
Chicago Cubs (68-41) at Oakland Athletics (48-62), 3:05 CT on WGN, 670 The Score.
Game Thread and Series Preview
Your game thread is down in the comments, so let’s have some good, clean (safe-for-work) fun this afternoon.
The Series Preview lives here. The Lineup Discussion lives here.
Starting Pitchers
Cubs: Kyle Hendricks (R): 2.22 ERA, 3.33 FIP, 3.74 xFIP; 3.09 K/BB
versus
Athletics: Sean Manaea (L): 4.68 ERA, 4.21 FIP, 4.11 xFIP; 3.43 K/BB[adinserter=”2″]
Oakland Athletics Lineup:
- Coco Crisp, LF
- Max Muncy, 2B
- Stephen Vogt, C
- Khris Davis, DH
- Danny Valencia, RF
- Yonder Alonso, 1B
- Marcus Semien, SS
- Jake Smolinski, CF
- Ryon Healy, 3B
Chicago Cubs Lineup:
- Dexter Fowler, CF
- Kris Bryant, 3B
- Anthony Rizzo, 1B
- Ben Zobrist, RF
- Addison Russell, SS
- Jorge Soler, DH
- Willson Contreras, C
- Javy Baez, 2B
- Matt Szczur, LF