Braun, Brewers look to batter Cubs again
The Chicago Cubs and visiting Milwaukee Brewers will square off in the rubber match of a three-game series Sunday night following a marathon 15-inning game that lasted more than five hours.
Chicago held on for the win Saturday afternoon after Willson Contreras crushed a 424-foot home run to left field. It was the third walk-off win in five games for the Cubs, who have won 11 of their past 13 games.
Meanwhile, Milwaukee will try to leave with a series win after seeing its seven-game winning streak come to an end. The Brewers have scored five-plus runs in four of their past five contests.
Cubs left-hander Jon Lester (2-1, 1.41 ERA) will make his seventh start of the season. He has allowed only one run in his last 18 innings since returning from a hamstring injury that sidelined him for two-and-a-half weeks.
The 35-year-old Lester sports a 179-99 record with a 3.47 ERA in his 14-season career. He ranks fourth in victories among active pitchers, trailing only CC Sabathia (248), Justin Verlander (210) and Zack Greinke (192).
In eight career starts against the Brewers, including a pair of showdowns last season, Lester is 4-3 with a 2.66 ERA. He has walked 17 and struck out 55 in 50 2/3 innings.
Milwaukee will counter with right-hander Jhoulys Chacin (3-3, 5.03 ERA), who will make his ninth start. He allowed two runs in five innings in his most recent performance Monday against the Washington Nationals.
Chacin, 31, is 4-6 with a 2.86 ERA in 12 games (11 starts) against the Cubs during his career. He opposed the Cubs in five starts last season, posting a 2-2 record with a 1.59 ERA in those outings.
Brewers left fielder Ryan Braun's status for the game is uncertain after he was a late scratch Saturday because of soreness in his left hamstring. Braun appeared as a pinch hitter in the 12th inning but struck out.
The Brewers also will look for a better performance from Travis Shaw, whose average has plunged to .168.
"We need Travis," Brewers manager Craig Counsell recently told reporters. "He's going to continue to be in there. He's a really important player for us, and we're going to do everything we can to get him going."
Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant will try to set a career high by safely reaching base in his 22nd consecutive game. Bryant increased his streak to 21 with a single on Saturday, matching his 21-game mark from 2016.
The buzz surrounding Sunday night baseball might not be as significant as it used to be, but the weekly time slot still carries weight, according to Cubs manager Joe Maddon. He recalled getting excited to watch the "Game of the Week" on Saturday afternoons, long before fans had the option to watch any team on any night.
"Of course, the world is different now," Maddon said recently. "You don't have to search for that unique viewing opportunity anymore. Everything is saturated now. ...
"As a kid, if I had the MLB package when I was 10, I'd have never gone to bed. I'd have been up all night, every night, watching the West Coast baseball. (My mom) would have been going nuts."
--Field Level Media
