Chicago @ San Francisco preview
AT&T Park
Last Meeting ( May 21, 2016 ) Chi. Cubs 3, San Francisco 5
The San Francisco Giants have a chance to send a message to the presumptive National League favorites – the road to the World Series still goes through AT&T Park. The Giants, who have won three straight championships in even-numbered years, host the Chicago Cubs on Sunday in the rubber match of their three-game series.
The clash of division leaders is even after Matt Cain ended a drought that lasted nearly a year and Buster Posey homered in a 5-3 win on Saturday. It was the ninth victory in 10 games for San Francisco, while the Cubs have lost six of their last 10 and are in danger of dropping back-to-back series for the first time this season. Chicago's Kyle Hendricks looks to find some success on the road, where he has struggled to a 5.19 ERA in three starts this year. Hendricks will oppose Giants ace Madison Bumgarner, who continues to pitch well in his home park as he is 2-1 with a 2.14 ERA in five starts there this season.
TV: 8:05 p.m. ET, ESPN
PITCHING MATCHUP: Cubs RH Kyle Hendricks (2-3, 3.51 ERA) vs. Giants LH Madison Bumgarner (5-2, 2.45)
Hendricks has recorded four quality starts and has not allowed more than four runs in any of his seven turns this season. The 26-year-old endured one of his rockiest outings of the year on Tuesday at Milwaukee, yielding four runs and five hits over 5 1/3 innings in a loss. Hendricks is 1-1 with a 5.56 ERA in two career starts against the Giants.
The Giants have won each of Bumgarner’s last five starts, and he has notched the victory in four of them. The 26-year-old is coming off his best outing of the year as he struck out a season-high 11 and limited host San Diego to one run and five hits en route to a complete game on Tuesday. Bumgarner is 6-2 with a 2.44 ERA in 10 career starts against the Cubs and hasn’t lost to them since 2012.
WALK-OFFS
1. Chicago is is 21-for-55 with the bases loaded this season while opponents are just 1-for-28 in those situations.
2. San Francisco has scored five runs or fewer in 14 consecutive games, averaging 2.7, but still has won 10 of those contests.
3. Cubs 2B/OF Ben Zobrist, who is riding an eight-game hitting streak, is 5-for-6 with a double and a triple versus Bumgarner.
PREDICTION: Giants 4, Cubs 2