Chicago @ Milwaukee preview

Last Meeting ( May 31, 2014 ) Chi. Cubs 8, Milwaukee 0

The offense produced and the bullpen dominated in the Chicago Cubs' last game, a combination ace Jeff Samardzija rarely has experienced when he pitches. Samardzija hopes to see that trend change when he and the visiting Cubs take on the Milwaukee Brewers in the finale of their three-game series on Sunday. Samardzija will square off with Kyle Lohse for the second time this season, as he was outdueled in a 4-3 Brewers win at Chicago on May 16.

Samardzija never has beaten Milwaukee as a starter, but most of the current Brewers have struggled against him. Ryan Braun is 7-for-16 with two homers versus Samardzija, but the rest of the current roster has combined to hit .177 in 79 at-bats. Chicago's Anthony Rizzo, who recorded his fifth career multi-homer performance in an 8-0 rout on Saturday, is 9-for-19 versus Lohse while teammate Junior Lake is 5-for-11 with two homers.

TV: 2:10 p.m. ET, WGN (Chicago), FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Cubs RH Jeff Samardzija (1-4, 1.68 ERA) vs. Brewers RH Kyle Lohse (6-1, 2.92)

Samardzija finally picked up his first win of the season in his 11th start Monday at San Francisco, and it came in spite of one of his least impressive performances of the year. The 29-year-old racked up a season-high 10 strikeouts but allowed four runs (three earned) over seven innings. Samardzija is 2-5 with a 3.58 ERA in 21 appearances (seven starts) against Milwaukee, with both wins coming in relief in 2011.

Lohse is undefeated since his first outing of the year and the Brewers are 8-3 in games in which he starts. The 35-year-old had his streak of eight straight quality starts snapped last time out, allowing four runs over 6 2/3 innings in a no-decision against Baltimore. Lohse is 6-6 with a 5.08 ERA in 21 starts against the Cubs, who drafted him in 1996.

WALK-OFFS

1. Cubs SS Starlin Castro has reached base in his last 15 games at Miller Park dating to Aug. 22, 2012. Castro is 7-for-32 with no extra-base hits against Lohse.

2. Brewers LF Khris Davis is hitting .441 during his nine-game hitting streak, two shy of his season-high streak in 2013.

3. Chicago is 0-26 when trailing entering the eighth and 0-28 when down heading into the ninth.

PREDICTION: Cubs 4, Brewers 2