The Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox are getting set to battle in a four-game series that will begin Monday afternoon at Wrigley Field, and the two teams are heading in completely opposite directions as the rivalry renews itself.
Things couldn’t be going much better for the Cubs, as they’re coming off a series win over the St. Louis Cardinals over the weekend. The Cubs have now won eight of their first nine games coming out of the All-Star break, and they have moved back into a tie for first place in the National League Central thanks to their hot start.
Meanwhile, the White Sox are tumbling down the standings, having lost their last nine games after getting swept by the Kansas City Royals over the weekend. Trades have sapped the team of much of their veteran depth, and more moves could be in the offing even as their series gets underway against the Cubs.
With the Cubs looking to keep the momentum rolling, and the Sox looking to turn things back around, here are the pitching matchups for the series.
Monday: Miguel Gonzalez vs. Kyle Hendricks
Hendricks will make his triumphant return off the disabled list for this game, as he takes on the White Sox at Wrigley Field. In his last rehab outing, he threw five perfect innings, and he’ll be hoping to outduel Gonzalez, who gave up one run in six innings in his last start.
Key White Sox: Jose Abreu
Chicago Baseball
Abreu has notched at least one hit in each of his last four appearances, and he’s brought his batting average back up to .296 in the process. He hasn’t hit a home run in his last 12 games, but he’s at least seeing the ball well.
Key Cub: Willson Contreras
Contreras has piled up three home runs and seven RBI in his last four appearances, and he smacked the game winning long-ball against the Cardinals on Sunday night. He has been key to the team’s recent offensive resurgence, and his defense behind the plate has been outstanding.
Tuesday: Carlos Rodon vs. John Lackey
Lackey is coming off the disabled list, and he gave up just one run against the Atlanta Braves in his first start back. He has had a bad habit of giving up home runs this season, so he’ll have to avoid that. Meanwhile, Carlos Rodon has had similar issues with keeping the ball in the yard, as he’s posted a 7.61 ERA in his last three starts.
Key White Sox: Avisail Garcia
Garcia has registered at least one hit in seven of his last eight games, including a pair of home runs in a game against the Mariners last week. The slugger still has a batting average north of .300 and is a threat to go deep in every at-bat, and he’s one of the few bright spots for a Sox team that is struggling lately.
Key Cub: Kris Bryant
After he injured his pinkie against the Braves last week, Bryant has stepped back into the lineup and registered four hits in his last two games. He also drove in a run in both games and raised his batting average back up to .280 on the season.
Wednesday: Jake Arrieta vs. James Shields
Arrieta has been piling up pitches early in games lately, but he’s still been effective as he’s held opponents to a .191 batting average since the All-Star break. Shields has been much less effective recently, posting a 9.60 ERA in his last three starts.
Key Cub: Jason Heyward
The outfielder has made some spectacular catches in recent games, and he’s gotten at least one hit in nine of the last 10 contests in which he’s appeared. He went 1-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored in Sunday’s win over the Cardinals, and he has looked comfortable no matter where Joe Maddon has put him in the lineup.
Key White Sox: Yoan Moncada
After smashing an RBI triple in Friday’s game against the Royals, Moncada has crashed back to earth, as he has gone 1-for-13 since making his White Sox debut last week. Moncada is a massive piece for the future with the White Sox, and he’ll be looking to try to bounce back against a Cubs pitching staff that has been strong lately.
Thursday: Jon Lester vs. Mike Pelfry
Lester has been absolutely dominant since an awful start against the Pittsburgh Pirates before the break, giving up three hits in eight innings against the Cardinals on Saturday. Pelfrey allowed just one run in his last start, but he walked six batters as the White Sox fell to the Royals.
Key Cub: Kyle Schwarber
Schwarber smashed a big home run against the Cardinals Sunday night, but he’s still trying to really find his form. Playing at a hitter friendly ballpark like Guaranteed Rate Field could be just the medicine that he needs however, so it will be interested to see how a return to the designated hitter role could benefit him.
Key White Sox: Dan Jennings
Since David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle were traded to the New York Yankees, Jennings has had to pick up some major slack in the bullpen, giving up one hit and one run in his last four innings of work. He’s also struck out seven batters during that span, and he’s one of the few veteran guys remaining in a bullpen that has struggled at times of late.
