Game Forty-Eight: Cubs (25-22) vs. Royals (29-18)
- Game Time – 1:20pm CDT
- Coverage – TV: ABC-7 – Radio: WBBM 780, Cubs Radio Network, XM Radio Channels 188, 844
- Location – Wrigley Field, Chicago
Tsuyoshi Wada (0-0, 2.70/1.10/3.93) vs. Yordano Ventura (3-4, 4.64/1.23/4.32)
The Cubs and Royals will wrap up what is now a two-game series this afternoon. And Joe Maddon will hand the ball to Tsuyoshi Wada to end the Cubs two-game skid.
With Saturday’s rainout, the Cubs will have to beat the Royals today in order to finish May with a .500 record. The Cubs enter play this afternoon with a 13-14 record this month, six back of the Cardinals and tied with the Pirates for second place in the division.
Joe Maddon should run out the starting lineup he posted for Saturday night’s game. Maddon had a starting nine of Dexter Fowler CF, Kris Bryant 3B, Anthony Rizzo 1B, Starlin Castro SS, Miguel Montero C, Jorge Soler RF, Chris Coghlan LF, Tsuyoshi Wada P and Addison Russell 2B. One has to wonder how much longer Maddon can insert Castro in the four-hole of a lineup that is not producing runs.
Temperatures will be less than ideal for baseball this afternoon and the wind is expected to be blowing in. Tom Skilling is calling for game-time temperatures in the low-50s. The Cubs will have to play like the Royals this afternoon in order to pull out a win against the volatile, but incredibly talented Yordano Ventura.
The Cubs and Royals are wearing throwback uniforms today paying tribute to the 1915 Chicago Whales of the Federal League. The Royals will wear Kansas City Packers uniforms on Throwback Sunday at the old ballyard.
This afternoon all starts with Tsuyoshi Wada …
Tsuyoshi Wada makes his third start for the Cubs today. Wada was effective against the Padres and Nationals and pitched into the sixth inning his last time out. Wada limited the Padres to two runs on four hits with a walk and nine strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings. The Nationals scored one run on a leadoff homer by Denard Span against Wada in 5 1/3 innings.
Over his first two starts, Wada has allowed three runs on eight hits, two home runs, with three walks and 15 strikeouts in 10 innings.
Tsuyoshi Wada has pitched rather well at Wrigley. Wada is 4-1 in nine starts with a 2.77 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP. And he will face the Royals for the first time this afternoon in a regular season game. Drew Butera (0-for-1 with a walk) is the only player on Kansas City’s active roster that has faced Wada in a regular season game.
The Cubs have seen Yordano Ventura in the Cactus League but not in a regular season game. Ventura has incredible stuff but can be rather erratic and is very inconsistent. The Cubs must make him work and not allow him to settle in or it will be another rough day for the offense.
Yordano Ventura is coming off a loss against the Cardinals. He allowed four runs on five hits with two walks and seven strikeouts in seven innings. Ventura is 1-2 in his last four starts with a 4.33 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP (27 hits, seven walks and 23 strikeouts in 27 innings).
Outside of Kansas City this season, Yordano Ventura is 1-2 in five starts with a 5.23 ERA and a 1.45 WHIP.
Dexter Fowler (2-for-5 with one double and one walk), Miguel Montero (2-for-3 with one double) and David Ross (1-for-2 with one home run and one walk) are the only players on Jon Maddon’s roster that have faced Yordano Ventura during a regular season game.
Let’s Talk Cubs Baseball …