Game Twenty-Nine: Cubs (15-13) vs. Brewers (9-21)
- Game Time – 6:10pm CDT
- Coverage – TV: Comcast SportsNet – Radio: WBBM 780, Cubs Radio Network, XM Radio Channels 186, 844
- Location – Miller Park, Milwaukee
Travis Wood (2-1, 4.40/1.15/3.75) vs. Kyle Lohse (1-4, 7.01/1.33/6.07)
The Cubs will shoot to make in two in a row in Miller Park tonight behind Travis Wood.
Joe Maddon could use another long, effective outing from his starter again tonight in order to stay out of the bullpen. Wood’s history against the Brewers, especially in their park, points to the possibility of the exact opposite happening.
Maddon will likely not have the services of Hector Rondon tonight. The Cubs’ closer had a bad ninth inning. And the 32 pitches (17 strikes) he needed to record three outs should make him unavailable. Pedro Strop obviously needs a day or two off as well. If the Cubs have a lead late in the game it will be interesting to see which relievers Maddon uses.
Tonight all starts with Travis Wood …
Travis Wood was staked to a big lead, that he helped build, his last time out in St. Louis. But the Cardinals put four on the board in the bottom of the first and Wood ended up allowing six runs on six hits in five innings to the Cardinals. Wood has not fared well against St. Louis over the course of his career, especially at Busch Stadium, and that was the case last Monday. The Cubs ended up losing a game they should have won.
But that was then, and unfortunately for the Cubs and Travis Wood, the other lefty in Maddon’s rotation has a similar history with the Brewers.
Travis Wood has had a hard time outside of Wrigley Field this season. Wood is 0-1 in three road starts with a 7.36 ERA and a 1.57 WHIP (17 hits, six walks, 15 strikeouts in 14 2/3 innings). At home, Wood is 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA and a 0.71 WHIP (eight hits, two walks and 16 strikeouts in 14 innings).
In 11 career appearances, 10 starts, against the Brewers, Travis Wood is 4-4 with a 4.55 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP … and at Miller Park, 1-3 in four starts with a 7.52 ERA and a 1.67 WHIP. The Brewers have hit a .337 clip against Wood in their park. Last season, Wood was 1-2 in three starts with a 8.22 ERA and a 1.70 WHIP versus the Brewers … in two starts at Miller Park, 0-2 with a 12.96 ERA and a 2.52 WHIP.
Travis Wood obviously has to do something he has not done at Miller Park in order for the Cubs to pick up a win today.
Brewers Career Numbers against Travis Wood
- Ryan Braun: 9-for-27 with four doubles, two home runs and one walks
- Carlos Gomez: 4-for-17 with one home run and four walks
- Aramis Ramirez: 3-for-17 with one double
- Martin Maldonado: 2-for-9 with one double
- Khris Davis: 3-for-8 with one double and one home run
- Jean Segura: 2-for-7 with one double and one walk
- Gerardo Parra: 1-for-2
It’s been a rough start to the season for Kyle Lohse. The Brewers’ Opening Day starter has struggled and only one time in six starts has limited a team to two runs or less while completing seven innings. Lohse lasted just five innings his last time out. The Dodgers scored three runs on four hits with three walks and Lohse struck out four batters.
Lohse makes his fifth start of the season at Miller Park tonight. Lohse is 1-2 in the first four with a 7.06 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP.
Regardless of how much he has struggled this year, it is still the Cubs and he’s had quite a bit of success in recent years against in the organization that drafted him.
Kyle Lohse is 7-7 in 23 career starts against the Cubs with a 4.88 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP. Last year, Lohse posted a 2-1 record in three starts with a 3.32 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP.
Cubs Career Numbers against Kyle Lohse
- Starlin Castro: 9-for-38
- Anthony Rizzo: 10-for-21 with two doubles, one home run and two walks
- Welington Castillo: 3-for-20 with three doubles and one walk
- Miguel Montero: 5-for-19 with two home runs and one walk
- Chris Coghlan: 3-for-8 with one double and one walk
- Dexter Fowler: 1-for-9
- Jonathan Herrera: 2-for-4
- David Ross: 3-for-4 with one home run
Let’s Talk Cubs Baseball …