Game Thirty-Two – Cubs (11-20) vs. White Sox (17-17)
- Game Time – 7:10pm CDT
- Coverage – TV: Comcast SportsNet, ESPN – Radio: 720 WGN, XM Radio Channels 183, 844
- Location – U.S. Cellular Field, Chicago
Travis Wood (2-3, 3.35/1.25/2.90) vs. John Danks (2-2, 5.00/1.58/4.78)
The Crosstown Series … Cubs vs. White Sox
The Crosstown Series shifts to the South Side for game three and tonight is a duel of southpaws in Travis Wood and John Danks.
Rick Renteria will give the ball to Travis Wood tonight and hope his southpaw can keep the White Sox off the scoreboard while the offense tries to remember how to score runs. After posting their first three-game winning streak of the season, the Cubs have lost three in a row because they are not hitting.
Renteria has not said who he will use as the Cubs’ designated hitter over the next two days. With John Danks starting tonight, the safe bet is on Mike Olt. Renteria should use a balanced lineup tonight with Danks on the hill. Lefties (.275/.341/.364) and right handers (.260/.361/.361) have hit virtually the same against Danks this year.
The Cubs are a loss away from the Crosstown Cup residing on the South Side for a year. But if the Cubs can win the next two games at the Cell, the cup will stay on the North Side.
Game three all starts with Travis Wood …
Travis Wood is coming off a win against St. Louis and tied a season-high in innings pitched in the process. Both times this year Wood has completed seven innings, the Cubs have won the game. Wood limited the Cardinals to three runs, two earned, on six hits with no walks and six strikeouts in seven innings. Wood has really struggled outside of Wrigley this year and will face a challenge tonight on the South Side.
Wood is 0-2 in two road starts with a 5.56 ERA and a 1.85 WHIP compared to a 2-1 record in four starts at Wrigley with a 2.39 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP.
Travis Wood is 2-0 in two career starts against the Sox with a 2.25 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP. Wood beat the White Sox last year in the only game he started. Wood allowed two runs on five hits with two walks and six strikeouts at Wrigley. In his one start at the Cell, Wood allowed one run on four hits with four walks and five strikeouts in six innings on June 19, 2012.
White Sox Career Numbers against Travis Wood
- Alejandro De Aza: 1-for-4 with two walks
- Paul Konerko: 3-for-6
- Dayan Viciedo: 1-for-5 with one walk
- Alexei Ramirez: 2-for-5 with one double
- Tyler Flowers: 1-for-3 with one walk
- Gordon Beckham: 0-for-2 with one walk
- Adam Dunn: 0-for-3
- Leury Garcia: 0-for-1
John Danks was off to a good start to his season before his last start in Cleveland. Danks is healthy and had limited opponents to one earned run in two straight starts prior to facing the Rays on the South Side on April 26. The Indians scored eight runs on 10 hits with three walks and three strikeouts off Danks last Friday.
John Danks is 1-1 with a 4.08 ERA and a 1.47 WHIP in his home park (16 hits, 10 walks and 11 strikeouts in 17 2/3 innings). The key tonight for the Cubs will be to make him work. Danks will beat himself and give the Cubs plenty of baserunners if the offense is willing to make him throw a strike (20 walks, 21 strikeouts in 36 innings).
John Danks likes pitching against the Cubs and has pretty much owned the Northsiders during his career. Danks is a deceiving 3-2 in six starts with a 3.06 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP … only 30 hits with eight walks in 35 1/3 innings for the Cubs against Danks with 30 strikeouts.
Cubs Career Numbers against John Danks
- Starlin Castro: 2-for-7
- Darwin Barney: 1-for-5 with a double
- Luis Valbuena: 3-for-4 with one walk
- Emilio Bonifacio: 0-for-2 with one walk
- Ryan Kalish: 0-for-2
- Chris Coghlan: 0-for-2
- Anthony Rizzo: 0-for-2
Let’s Talk Cubs Baseball …