AP Sports Preview

CHICAGO (Interstat) — The Houston Astros aim for a series sweep Sunday afternoon when they face the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.

First pitch is scheduled for 2:20 p.m. EDT under cloudy skies with a temperature of 66 degrees.

Houston (22-31) has won the first two games of this three-game set, outscoring the Cubs 7-2. The Astros took Saturday’s contest 3-0 behind a dominant start from right-hander Kai-Wei Teng, who threw six scoreless innings, allowing two hits and striking out six.

Right-hander Peter Lambert (2-4) will start for Houston. He will look to build on the Astros’ recent pitching momentum.

The Cubs (29-23) will counter with right-hander Colin Rea. Rea took the loss in Saturday’s game, working seven innings and allowing four hits and three earned runs while striking out four. In his last four starts, Rea is 1-3 with a 5.06 ERA.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Houston: Teng is coming off two consecutive score outings. In his last two appearances, spanning 11 innings, he has allowed two hits and no runs while striking out 13. He threw 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball against Texas on May 16, and recorded a save against Boston on May 2.

Chicago: Rea has struggled of late. Over his last three starts, he has allowed 12 earned runs in 16 innings (6.75 ERA). He threw 5 1/3 innings of one-run ball against Cincinnati on May 6, and 5 1/3 innings of two-run ball against Arizona on May 1.

HEAD TO HEAD

The Astros took Friday’s game 4-2. First baseman Christian Walker went 3-for-3 with two home runs and three RBIs in Saturday’s win.

UP NEXT

Following Sunday’s game, the Astros travel to Texas for a four-game series against the Rangers beginning Monday. The Cubs head to Pittsburgh for a four-game set against the Pirates.

Interstat projection: Astros 4, Cubs 2.