Talkin’ Cubs Live – Cubs vs. White Sox – 06/19/12

Travis Wood (0-3, 4.58/1.25) vs. Jake Peavy (6-2, 2.91/0.97)

It is game two of round two of the City Series and tonight figures to be a lot more challenging for the Cubs’ offense with Jake Peavy on the hill. Dale Sveum’s team had their best offensive night of the season in the opener. The Cubs beat the Sox for the first time under Dale Sveum and improved to 12-11 in series openers this season … but that was then.

Following Monday’s victory, Dale Sveum said he will likely use the same defensive alignment tonight … Bryan LaHair in right, David DeJesus in center, Tony Campana in left and Steve Clevenger at first. The Cubs appear to be on the verge of calling up Anthony Rizzo. They have said all along that LaHair would move to the outfield, against right handed pitching, when Rizzo is ready to be called-up. Sveum mentioned Monday that LaHair would be playing in the outfield, for now, against right-handed starters.

The flurry of roster moves the Cubs made on Monday caught many off guard. While Geovany Soto being activated from the DL was not a surprise, the Cubs discussed having three catchers on the roster when Soto was able to return. Welington Castillo and not Adrian Cardenas was sent out and Scott Maine took Ryan Dempster’s spot on the active roster. The Cubs figure to be extremely busy over the next six weeks and both the 40-man and active roster figures to change quite a bit over that span.

Randy Wells has been given another opportunity in the starting rotation. With Dempster on the shelf, Wells will take his spot, at least for Wednesday. Wells has not taken advantage of previous opportunities to put his proverbial money where his mouth is.

Tonight it all starts with Travis Wood … Travis Wood is coming off a quality start (three runs on eight hits with two walks, two hit batsmen and three strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings) against the Tigers. Wood was not sharp and pitched his way out of trouble all afternoon. The Tigers put the leadoff hitter on in each of Wood’s seven innings and he pitched from behind in the count most of the day. While the line may say it was a quality start … it was far from it. If Travis Wood pitches the way he did against the Tigers tonight, the White Sox will light him up.

Travis Wood is 0-2 in three starts outside of Wrigley this season and will participate in the Crosstown series for the first time.

Travis Wood has never faced the White Sox … and Orlando Hudson (0-for-2 with a walk) is the only active Southsider that has faced him.

To put it simply, Jake Peavy has owned the Chicago Cubs throughout his career … and especially since the trade that would have sent him to the team on the North Side of Chicago was pulled off the table at the end of the Winter Meetings in 2008.

Jake Peavy is coming off another excellent outing (one run on four hits with six strikeouts and two walks in seven innings) against the Cardinals but was a hard-luck loser thanks to Lance Lynn. Peavy is 0-1 in his last three starts with a 2.33 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP.

For as good as Peavy has been this season, he has struggled a little at the Cell. Peavy is 3-1 in seven home starts with a 4.05 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP.

Jake Peavy is 7-2 in 12 career starts against the Cubs with a 2.39 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP. Peavy shutout the Cubs for 6 1/3 innings back on May 20. Peavy allowed only three hits, walked two and struck out seven in a 6-0 Sox win.

Cubs Career Numbers against Jake Peavy

• Jeff Baker – 1-for-3
• Tony Campana – 0-for-3
• Adrian Cardenas – 0-for-2
• Starlin Castro – 3-for-8 with a walk
• David DeJesus – 0-for-14
• Reed Johnson – 0-for-4 with a walk
• Bryan LaHair – 1-for-2 with a walk
• Joe Mather – 1-for-1 with a home run
• Alfonso Soriano – 9-for-26 with three doubles, three home runs and four walks
• Geovany Soto – 2-for-6 with two walks
• Luis Valbuena – 4-for-8 with a double and two walks

Let’s Talk Cubs Baseball …

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