Cubs News: Lineup vs Cards: Heyward returns from injury |
The Chicago Cubs (29-14) tonight play the second of three games against the St. Louis Cardinals (24-21) and look to snap a season-high three-game skid. Chicago last night fell in the series opener, 4-3, and has endured its first three-game road skid since September 12-15 of last season at Philadelphia (0-2) and Pittsburgh (0-1). The Cubs have gone 24-8 in their last 32 regular season road games dating to the nightcap of a doubleheader in Pittsburgh on September 15 of last season and have outscored their opponents 174-79 during this stretch, a run differential of +95.
Jason Heyward left Friday night’s game in the first inning after making a highlight reel catch of a Denard Span fly ball to the right-center wall and missed three games after being diagnosed with a contusion on right side of his rib cage. Lineup vs Cardinals 1 Dexter Fowler CF 2 Jason Heyward RF 3 Kris Bryant 3B 4 Anthony Rizzo 1B 5 Ben Zobrist 2B 6 Jorge Soler LF 7 Addison Russell SS 8 David Ross C 9 Jason Hammel P RHP Jason Hammel (5-1, 2.31) vs. RHP Michael Wacha (2-4, 4.03) Hammel is making his ninth start of the season and his team-leading sixth start on the road. Hammel owns a 2.48 ERA (8 ER/29.0 IP) in his five road games and a 2.04 ERA (4 ER/17.2 IP) at Wrigley Field and has pitched at least 6.0 innings in six of his eight starts this year.