Game One Hundred Twenty-Two: Cubs (47-74) vs. Brewers (55-66)
Game Time – 7:10pm CDT
Coverage – TV: Comcast SportsNet Plus – Radio: 720 WGN, XM Radio Channel 186/914
Location – Miller Park, Milwaukee
Chris Rusin (0-0, -.–/-.–) vs. Marco Estrada (0-5, 4.52/1.23)
Updated 3:44pm CDT – Cubs selected contract of LHP Chris Rusin from the Iowa Cubs and added to active roster. Matt Garza transferred to 60-day DL in order to make room on 40-man roster for Chris Rusin. LHP Alex Hinshaw added to active roster. The Cubs optioned Adrian Cardenas and Jeff Beliveau to Triple-A Iowa
The Cubs will try to put one in the win column tonight behind Chris Rusin in his Major League debut. The Cubs are 1-4 on the current seven-game road trip and have struggled all season outside of Wrigley Field. The same team that is 30-28 at home has just 17 road victories this year (17-46).
The Brewers issues have been with the pitching staff, not the offense this year. Chris Rusin will have his hands full tonight with a very good Brewers’ lineup that is 15-17 in games started by southpaws this season.
Alex Hinshaw was expected to join the team on Monday night but was delayed a day. According to multiple reports, Hinshaw will be in uniform tonight and in the Cubs’ pen.
To make room on the active roster for Chris Rusin and Alex Hinshaw, the Cubs optioned Adrian Cardenas and Jeff Beliveau to Iowa following Monday’s game. The Cubs have not announced the roster move needed to add Rusin to the 40-man roster. With the addition of Rusin, the Cubs will have three southpaws in the starting rotation … at least for now. Chris Rusin could be optioned down to Iowa following tonight’s start.
Chris Rusin will be the 16th rookie used by the Cubs this season and the tenth to make his big league debut this year.
Tonight all starts with Chris Rusin … Chris Rusin received a non-roster invite to big league camp in the spring and will make his big league debut tonight.
The Cubs selected Chris Rusin in the fourth round of the 2009 draft. Rusin started the season by posting a 2-2 record in his first five starts with a 2.63 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP. Rusin struck out 13 batters, walked six and allowed 23 hits in 36 1/3 innings. Rusin did not fare as well in May and struggled in June. Rusin finished the first half with a 6-6 record in 17 starts with a 4.69 ERA and a 1.41 WHIP.
Chris Rusin has shown improvement of late. Rusin posted a 1-0 record in his last three starts with a 1.93 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP. In seven starts after the break, Rusin was 2-2 with a 4.35 ERA and a 1.55 WHIP.
For the season, Chris Rusin was 8-8 in 24 starts at the Triple-A level with a 4.29 ERA and a 1.46 WHIP (142 hits allowed, 87 strikeouts, 52 walks and 16 home runs in 133 1/3 innings).
Marco Estrada is coming off another rough outing. Estrada has allowed four earned runs in each of his last two starts. The Phillies scored four runs on eight hits with three walks off Estrada in five innings. In his last two outing, Estrada has allowed eight runs on 15 hits with three walks and four strikeouts in nine innings (8.00 ERA and a 2.00 WHIP).
Marco Estrada is 0-1 in his last three starts with a 5.40 ERA and a 1.73 WHIP.
The Cubs have faced Estrada twice this season and one of his best starts of the year came at the Cubs expense on May 13. The Cubs won the game 8-2 but Estrada allowed only two runs on five hits with a walk and four strikeouts. Estrada does not have a record in six career appearances, one start, against the Cubs with a 7.30 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP.
Cubs Career Numbers against Marco Estrada
- Darwin Barney – 0-for-3
- Starlin Castro – 2-for-4 with a double
- David DeJesus – 1-for-3
- Bryan LaHair – 0-for-3
- Jeff Samardzija – 0-for-1
- Alfonso Soriano – 0-for-4 with a walk
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