Game One Hundred Seven: Cubs (48-58) vs. Brewers (46-61)
- Game Time – 7:05pm CDT
- Coverage – TV: WGN TV – Radio: 720 WGN, XM Radio Channels 186/844
- Location – Wrigley Field, Chicago
Edwin Jackson (6-11, 4.89/1.38) vs. Wily Peralta (7-10, 4.54/1.46)
Weather permitting … The Cubs will turn to Edwin Jackson to try to salvage the last game of the series against the Brewers. The Cubs will need a long, effective outing from Jackson tonight. The bullpen is spent and if the score is close late in the game, Dale Sveum might have to play matchups to avoid dropping all four to the Brewers.
With Blake Parker, Kevin Gregg and Michael Bowden throwing a lot of pitches in Tuesday’s doubleheader, all three relievers figure to be unavailable tonight. But none of it will matter if the Cubs keep struggling with runners on base and in scoring position.
Over the first three games of this series, the Cubs have put runs on the board in only two of the 27 innings. The Cubs are 14-for-103 with runners in scoring position since the All-Star break and cannot string together any hits right now with runners on base.
The Cubs were playing good ball before this series against the Brewers. Dale Sveum’s team is 3-8 in the first 11 games of the season against Milwaukee and another loss tonight will inch them closer to the basement in the NL Central.
Tonight it all starts with Edwin Jackson …
Edwin Jackson is coming off another good outing. Jackson held the Giants to two runs on four hits with two walks and five strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings. Jackson took a two-hit shutout into the seventh but a walk to Pablo Sandoval and a double by Hunter Pence put runners on second and third. After Brandon Belt was intentionally walked, Jeff Francoeur blooped a single into right that plated two runs. Jackson turned the game over to the pen down 2-1. And the Cubs pulled out the win thanks to a miscue by Brandon Belt in the ninth.
Edwin Jackson is 2-1 in his last four starts with a 2.05 ERA and a 0.84 WHIP and will face the Brewers for the fourth time this season.
Edwin Jackson has struggled against the Brewers this year and has not fared too well against them in his career. Jackson has lost all three starts he’s made against Milwaukee this year and has been hit pretty hard in the process. Jackson has allowed 16 runs, 12 earned, on 18 hits with eight walks and 11 strikeouts in 16 2/3 innings (6.48 ERA and a 1.56 WHIP). For his career, Jackson is 3-5 in 10 starts with a 3.96 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP.
Brewers Career Numbers against Edwin Jackson
- Norichika Aoki – 3-for-15 with a double and three walks
- Yuniesky Betancourt – 4-for-29 with a double and two walks
- Juan Francisco – 4-for-9 with a double, a home run and a walk
- Caleb Gindl – 1-for-2
- Carlos Gomez – 1-for-10 with a double
- Jonathan Lucroy – 7-for-20 with two home runs and a walk
- Martin Maldonado – 4-for-6 with a double and a walk
- Aramis Ramirez – 6-for-19 with a double and two home runs
- Logan Schafer – 0-for-3 with a walk
- Jean Segura – 3-for-9 with a double
- Rickie Weeks – 4-for-17 with two doubles, a home run and a walk
Wily Peralta was in the midst of his best stretch of the season before he took the hill in Colorado and was shelled. The Rockies pounded Peralta to the tune of eight runs, five earned, on seven hits with three walks and two strikeouts. Prior to his start in Denver, Peralta had allowed a total on one run in four starts.
After just a miserable start to the season, Peralta is 2-1 in his last five starts with a 1.64 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP.
Wily Peralta has the stuff to be a good starter in the big leagues but struggles with command and confidence. If the Cubs allow him to get comfortable, he will dominate them once again. The Cubs must make Peralta work and not go up to the plate in swing mode.
Wily Peralta makes his fourth start of the season against the Cubs tonight. Peralta is 1-1 in the first three with a 3.44 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP.
Cubs Career Numbers against Wily Peralta
- Darwin Barney – 1-for-4 with a walk
- Julio Borbon – 1-for-1
- Welington Castillo – 2-for-6
- Starlin Castro – 3-for-10
- David DeJesus – 2-for-6 with a double and a walk
- Dioner Navarro – 1-for-5 with a home run
- Anthony Rizzo – 2-for-7 with a home run and two walks
- Nate Schierholtz – 0-for-8
- Luis Valbuena – 2-for-8 with a walk
Let’s Talk Cubs Baseball …