Giants look to continue rebound as they visit Cubs

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Cubs will go for their fifth win in the last six games when they open a four-game series against the San Francisco Giants on Monday night.

Despite the Cubs' recent success, manager Joe Maddon is not satisfied. He is looking for an error-free performance from his team, which is 22-20 on the season and 11-10 at Wrigley Field.

"We've done better on this homestand, but we're still not playing our best baseball," Maddon said. "If we're not fundamentally where we need to be, that's where my focus is. More than anything, I want to see us play that championship-caliber defense. That's what's going to get us back there."

San Francisco (19-26) knows a thing or two about championships, but this season has not gone according to plan. However, the Giants have won seven of their past nine games as they head north from St. Louis to meet the Cubs.

Giants manager Bruce Bochy said he was encouraged after watching his team win two games over the weekend.

"We're leaving here feeling pretty good," Bochy told the San Francisco Chronicle. "Trust me."

Perhaps nobody feels as good as Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant. The reigning National League Most Valuable Player enters the series with three home runs in his past three games and eight home runs in his past 18 games.

Bryant hit in the No. 3 spot for the first time this season on Sunday in the Cubs' 13-6 win over the Milwaukee Brewers, and he went 3-for-3 with two homers and four runs.

"I'm on board," Bryant said. "I like it. I've been used to hitting second, but I guess my favorite spot would be (third)."

The reconfigured lineup had Ben Zobrist batting leadoff and Kyle Schwarber in the No. 2 spot in the order. Zobrist hit a leadoff homer in the first inning, and Schwarber had an RBI single in the sixth.

Right-hander John Lackey (4-3, 4.37 ERA) will start for the Cubs on Monday. The 38-year-old has won three decisions in a row after opening the season with a 1/3 record. He has walked five and struck out 23 in his past 23 1/3 innings.

Lackey will face the Giants for the first time this season. In his career, he is 1-1 with a 2.37 ERA in three starts against San Francisco. One of those starts came last year, when Lackey received a no-decision despite limiting the Giants to one earned run on one hit in five innings.

San Francisco left-hander Ty Blach (1-2, 4.15 ERA) will make his sixth start of the season and the eighth start of his career. The 26-year-old was the Giants' fifth-round pick out of Creighton in 2012.

Blach is coming off his first win of the season, when he limited the Los Angeles Dodgers to one run in seven innings on Tuesday. Since joining the rotation on April 25, he is 1-2 with a 4.15 ERA. He has walked 10 and struck out 11 in 34 2/3 innings as a starter.

The Cubs never have faced Blach, but many of their hitters have enjoyed success against southpaws this season. Bryant is hitting .379 (11-for-29) with four home runs and 10 RBI against left-handers. Meanwhile, Albert Almora Jr. could earn a start based on his .393 average (11-for-28) with two home runs and five RBI against southpaws.

For the Giants, Eduardo Nunez is hitting .333 (5-for-15) with one RBI against Lackey.