Arizona Diamondbacks at Chicago Cubs
CHICAGO (Interstat) — The Chicago Cubs look to complete a three-game sweep of the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday afternoon at Wrigley Field, where the forecast calls for 52-degree temperatures and clouds for the 1:20 p.m. first pitch.
The Cubs (21-12) have taken the first two games of the series by scores of 6-5 on Friday and 2-0 on Saturday, pushing Arizona (16-16) below .500 for the first time this season. Chicago has won seven of its last 10 contests while the Diamondbacks have dropped five of six.
Arizona’s probable starter had not been confirmed as of Saturday afternoon, with manager Torey Lovullo choosing between right-hander Merrill Kelly (1-2) and left-hander Matthew Boyd (1-1). Kelly last pitched April 27 against San Diego, allowing four runs over 4 1/3 innings in a no-decision. Boyd’s most recent start came April 26 against the Padres, when he gave up three runs on seven hits across five innings in a 12-7 victory.
The Cubs will send left-hander Shota Imanaga to the mound, coming off a dominant outing Saturday in which he held the Diamondbacks scoreless over seven innings, allowing four hits and striking out five. Imanaga (4-2) has a 1.80 ERA over his last three starts, including a seven-inning, three-hit win against Philadelphia on April 21 and a complete-game shutout of Pittsburgh on April 10 in which he struck out nine.
Right-hander Ryne Nelson is a player to watch for Arizona. He threw 5 2/3 innings Saturday, allowing one run on four hits while striking out four. Over his past five outings, Nelson has pitched well in three — including a 5 2/3-inning, one-run performance against Baltimore on April 13 — but struggled badly in two, most notably April 19 against Toronto when he recorded just one out and surrendered eight runs on eight hits.
For Chicago, left fielder Ian Happ is a key offensive threat. He went 3-for-3 with a home run and an RBI in Saturday’s 2-0 victory and is hitting .310 over his last 10 games.
The Interstat game simulator projects a 7-3 Cubs win.
Sunday’s game concludes the series before Chicago hosts Cincinnati for four games starting Monday while Arizona travels to Pittsburgh for a three-game set beginning Tuesday.