Game Thirty-Eight: Cubs (27-10) vs. Brewers (17-22)
- Game Time – 7:10pm CDT
- Coverage – TV: WGN-TV – Radio: WSCR 670 The Score, Cubs Radio Network, XM Radio Channels 186, 844
- Location – Miller Park, Milwaukee
John Lackey (4-2, 3.54/0.97/3.18) vs. Jimmy Nelson (4-3, 3.51/1.16/4.75)
The Cubs turn to John Lackey tonight and will ask him to keep the Brewers off the board while the offense figures out right-hander Jimmy Nelson. The Cubs need for Lackey to set the tone early and put the team in position to snap the two-game losing streak and avoid dropping games on consecutive days for the first time this season.
The Cubs have struggled against teams like the Brewers and with starting pitchers like Jimmy Nelson this season. Maybe Tuesday served as the reminder they must be prepared to play every day because the Cubs are going to get the best every team has to offer on a daily basis.
Joe Maddon did not follow the numbers Tuesday when he put his lineup together. Jorge Soler and David Ross should be in the starting nine tonight with Nelson on the hill. Nelson has handled left-handers (.210/.286/.407) a little better than right-handers (.231/.308/.365) this season.
Tonight all starts with John Lackey …
John Lackey completed eight innings for the second time in three starts his last time out and took the loss in the second game of the twin bill against the Friars. Lackey made one mistake and the ball ended up on Waveland Ave. for the only run in the game. Lackey has done his job in his last three starts.
Lackey is 1-1 in his previous three starts with a 1.96 ERA and 0.70 WHIP. Lackey has allowed six runs, five earned, on 12 hits with four walks and 20 strikeouts in 23 innings.
The Cubs are 4-3 in Lackey’s seven starts this season.
Outside of Wrigley Field, Lackey is 2-1 in three starts with a 5.79 ERA and 1.18 WHIP. Lackey makes his ninth career starts against the Brewers tonight.
Lackey missed the Brewers at Wrigley and is 5-1 with a 3.11 ERA and 1.13 WHIP in eight career starts versus the Brewers. At Miller Park, Lackey is 1-1 in three starts with a 4.26 ERA and 1.21 WHIP.
Brewers Career Numbers against John Lackey
- Aaron Hill: 6-for-30 with one double, one home run and two walks
- Ryan Braun: 4-for-19 with one double
- Jonathan Lucroy: 4-for-15 with one double and three walks
- Scooter Gennett: 4-for-11 with one double and one walk
- Chris Carter: 1-for-6 with one home run
- Martin Maldonado: 2-for-6
- Hernan Perez: 0-for-6
- Jimmy Nelson: 1-for-4
- Kirk Nieuwenhuis: 1-for-3
- Domingo Santana: 1-for-2 with one walk
- Jonathan Villar: 2-for-2 with one walk
The Cubs face right-hander Jimmy Nelson for the second time this season. The Cubs beat Nelson back on April 26 at Wrigley after he allowed three runs, one earned, on two hits with four walks and six strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings. Nelson has done a good job in his career of keeping the Cubs in check. It’s time the game plan against Nelson is changed.
Nelson is coming off a loss to the Padres. Nelson gave up two runs on five hits with a walk and five strikeouts over eight innings. Nelson received zero run support in a 3-0 loss.
Nelson is 1-1 in his last three starts with a 4.05 ERA and 1.10 WHIP. And the right-hander makes his sixth start of the season at Miller Park tonight. Nelson is 3-2 at home this season with a 3.09 ERA and 1.06 WHIP.
For his career, Jimmy Nelson is 0-4 in eight games, six starts, against the Cubs with a 3.35 ERA and 1.12 WHIP.
Cubs Career Numbers against Jimmy Nelson
- Jorge Soler: 5-for-16 with three doubles, one home run and one walk
- Anthony Rizzo: 4-for-16 with one double, one triple and one home run
- Dexter Fowler: 2-for-11 with one home run and one walk
- Kris Bryant: 1-for-10 with one double
- Addison Russel: 2-for-10
- Jason Heyward: 3-for-8 with one double
- Javier Baez: 3-for-6
- Miguel Montero: 2-for-4 with one double and two walks
- John Lackey: 0-for-4 with one walk
- David Ross: 0-for-2 with two walks
- Ben Zobrist: 0-for-1 with two walks
- Tommy La Stella: No Official At-Bat, one walk
Let’s Talk Cubs Baseball …