Game Eighty-Four: Cubs (46-37) vs. Cardinals (54-30)
- Game Time – 7:05pm CDT
- Coverage – TV: Comcast SportsNet, ESPN – Radio: WBBM 780, Cubs Radio Network, XM Radio Channels 187, 844
- Location – Wrigley Field, Chicago
Jason Hammel (5-4, 2.89/0.96/3.09) vs. Michael Wacha (10-3, 2.66/1.13/3.11)
Weather permitting … Joe Maddon gives the ball to Jason Hammel tonight and will ask ‘The Hammer’ in his last start before the break to bring home a series win against the Cardinals. The Cubs have won two of the first three games of the series and enter play tonight 7 ½ games back of the Cardinals in the NL Central … and four games ahead of the Mets and Giants for the second NL Wild Card.
By winning both games of Tuesday’s twin bill, the Cubs also have a chance today to do something the franchise has not done in seven years. At 46-37 on the season, the Cubs are a season-best nine games above .500. The Cubs have not been 10 games over since Lou’s crew won the division in 2008.
Tonight all starts with Jason Hammel …
Jason Hammel was very, very good his last time out. Unfortunately he made two mistakes, both left the yard and his teammates put only one run on the board. Hammel was hung with a loss to the Fish after allowing two runs on four hits with a walk and five strikeouts in seven innings. Hammel bounced back nicely from his rain-shortened start against the Cardinals and put his team in position to win the game.
Hammel is 1-1 in seven starts at Wrigley this year. Hammel has allowed 14 runs, 12 earned, on 34 hits with nine walks and 37 strikeouts in 48 innings (2.25 ERA, 0.90 WHIP). And he makes his second start of the season against the Cardinals tonight.
Jason Hammel took the loss in St. Louis on the rainy Sunday night in which he went back out after more than a 90-minute rain delay. Hammel lasted just three more innings and was touched up for a total of four runs on six hits with a walk and seven strikeouts in four innings.
For his career, Jason Hammel is 1-3 in five starts against the Cardinals with a 6.57 ERA and 1.58 WHIP.
Cardinals Career Numbers against Jason Hammel
- Jhonny Peralta: 9-for-22 with two doubles, two home runs and two walks
- Jason Heyward: 9-for-16 with one double
- Mark Reynolds: 2-for-14 with one walk
- Yadier Molina: 5-for-11 with three doubles
- Matt Carpenter: 2-for-8 with one double
- Randal Grichuk: 1-for-5 with one double
- Kolten Wong: 1-for-3 with one double
- Peter Bourjos: 0-for-1 with one walk
- Xavier Scruggs: 1-for-2
- Michael Wacha: 1-for-2
The Cubs get another shot at Michael Wacha tonight. Wacha picked up against the Padres where he left off against the Cubs. Wacha allowed one run on five hits with a walk and six strikeouts over seven innings to the Padres his last time out … the only run, a solo homer by Jedd Gyorko. The Padres won the game 2-1. Over his last two outings (Cubs, Padres), Wacha has allowed two runs on 11 hits with three walks and 11 strikeouts in 13 innings.
Michael Wacha is 6-2 in nine road starts this season with a 2.68 ERA and 1.14 WHIP. And tonight is Wacha’s second start of the year against the Cubs. Wacha beat Donn Roach on June 27 in St. Louis after allowing one run on six hits with two walks and five strikeouts in six innings.
For his career, Wacha is 3-1 in six games, five starts, against the Cubs with a 2.87 ERA and 1.18 WHIP. And at Wrigley, Michael Wacha is 0-1 in two games, one start, with a 2.57 ERA and 1.14 WHIP.
Cubs Career Numbers against Michael Wacha
- Anthony Rizzo: 5-for-14 with one home run and one walk
- Starlin Castro: 7-for-14 with two doubles and one home run
- Miguel Montero: 1-for-10 with one walk
- Kris Bryant: 0-for-3
- Chris Coghlan: 1-for-3 with one double
- Dexter Fowler: 1-for-3
- Mike Baxter: 0-for-1 with one walk
- Jason Hammel: 0-for-2
- Jonathan Herrera: 1-for-2
- Addison Russell: 0-for-2
- Travis Wood: One walk
Let’s Talk Cubs Baseball …