Game Forty – Cubs (13-26) vs. Brewers (26-15)
- Game Time – 1:20pm CDT
- Coverage – TV: WGN TV – Radio: 720 WGN, XM Radio Channels 183, 844
- Location – Wrigley Field, Chicago
Jeff Samardzija (0-3, 1.45/1.05/2.93) vs. Kyle Lohse (4-1, 2.75/1.13/3.41)
Weather permitting … The Cubs begins a five-game homestand this afternoon with the first of three against the Brewers. The homestand concludes on Wednesday with the second of a two-game series with the Yankees. Alfonso Soriano returns to Wrigley on Tuesday, and the Cubs will honor Derek Jeter prior to Tuesday’s game as well as get their second look at Masahiro Tanaka in the opener.
The Cubs will pay tribute to the decade of the 1930s throughout this homestand. The Wrigley Field marquee was returned to its original shade of green on Wednesday as part of the team honoring the best decade of baseball Wrigley Field has ever seen. Babe Ruth’s daughter, Julia Ruth Stevens, will “deliver a ceremonial first pitch” prior to today’s game. The Cubs are giving away Babe Ruth Called Shot Bobblehead prior to Friday’s game and the team invited the Babe’s 97-year old daughter to be part of today’s ceremonies. The team will wear replica jerseys from 1937 on Throwback Sunday.
The Cubs will welcome the Brewers to Wrigley Field for the first time this season. The Cubs dropped two of three at Miller Park last month (April 25-27) and will see a Brewers’ lineup without Aramis Ramirez (placed on 15-day DL on May 13 with strained left hamstring) for the entire series. Carlos Gomez will miss today’s opener serving the last day of his three-game suspension for the dustup in Pittsburgh. Ryan Braun was activated from the DL on Tuesday and should receive a warm welcome from the Wrigley faithful in right field.
After today’s matchup of Jeff Samardzija and Kyle Lohse, Edwin Jackson is scheduled to face Matt Garza in his return to Wrigley on Saturday afternoon. The series is set to wrap up on Sunday afternoon with Travis Wood taking on Wily Peralta.
The Cubs have to figure out a way to put runs on the board for Jeff Samardzija. The Cubs’ number one starter has not allowed an earned run in his last two starts, while his teammates haven’t really scored any runs for him. Samardzija has started eight games this season and the Cubs have scored a grand total of 15 runs in those eight starts … and three of the five times the Cubs have been shutout this year have been on days Samardzija started the game. Over his last 20 starts, the offense has scored one or fewer runs 11 times and has been shut out seven times.
The homestand all begins with Jeff Samardzija … and support from the offense.
Jeff Samardzija is coming off a very good, rain-shortened outing in Atlanta. Samardzija tossed six innings of shutout ball, allowed two hits and a walk while striking out seven. Samardzija was limited to six innings due to the one hour and eight-minute rain delay after the second inning. Samardzija stayed hot during the rain delay by throwing two simulated innings in the cages.
After starting the season 0-3 with a 2.38 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP in five starts, Samardzija has two no decisions in his last two appearances with a 0.00 ERA and a 0.53 WHIP. Samardzija has not allowed an earned run in his last 15 innings of work (five hits, three walks and 14 strikeouts).
Photo Credit – The Wrigley Blog – @WrigleyBlog
Wrigley Field has been as kind to Samardzija as the road so far this season. Samardzija is 0-2 in four starts at Wrigley with a 1.48 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP. And he will face the Brewers for the first time this season.
Jeff Samardzija is 2-4 in 20 career appearances, six starts, against the Brewers with a 3.58 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP. Samardzija was 0-1 in three starts versus Milwaukee a year ago with a 3.00 ERA and a 0.90 WHIP.
Brewers Career Numbers against Jeff Samardzija
- Ryan Braun: 7-for-16 with one double, two home runs and three walks
- Jonathan Lucroy: 1-for-15 with one triple and two walks
- Rickie Weeks: 2-for-10 with one double and three walks
- Jean Segura: 2-for-12
- Carlos Gomez: 2-for-8 with two home runs
- Jeff Bianchi: 0-for-3
- Scooter Gennett: 0-for-3
- Kyle Lohse: 1-for-2
- Lyle Overbay: 0-for-2
Kyle Lohse has been the model of consistency for the Brewers this season. Lohse has made eight starts, hasn’t pitched past the seventh inning while completing at least five innings in each start. And Lohse has not allowed more than three earned runs in any of his starts. Lohse is coming off his third straight no-decision. Lohse held the Yankees to three runs, two earned, on eight hits his last time out with no walks and two strikeouts in six innings.
Kyle Lohse is 2-0 in four road starts this year with a 3.42 ERA and a 1.48 WHIP. And he will make the 21st start of his career against the team that selected him in the 29th round of the 1996 Draft.
Kyle Lohse owns a 5-6 mark in 20 career starts against the Cubs a 5.15 ERA and a 1.46 WHIP, and last season, Lohse was 1-2 in four starts with a 5.09 ERA and a 1.57 WHIP.
Cubs Career Numbers against Kyle Lohse
- Starlin Castro: 6-for-29
- Darwin Barney: 6-for-24 with one double and one walk
- Anthony Rizzo: 8-for-17 with two doubles and one walk
- Nate Schierholtz: 4-for-18 with one double and two home runs
- Welington Castillo: 3-for-16 with three doubles and one walk
- Luis Valbuena: 3-for-13 with one home run
- Emilio Bonifacio: 2-for-7 with two doubles
- Junior Lake: 4-for-8 with one home run
- Chris Coghlan: 1-for-4 with one walk
- John Baker: 1-for-2
Let’s Talk Cubs Baseball …