Chicago @ San Diego preview

Last Meeting ( May 11, 2016 ) San Diego 1, Chi. Cubs 0

The Chicago Cubs are favored to win their first World Series since 1908, but hardly resemble the best team in baseball at the moment as they continue their nine-game road trip with three against the San Diego Padres beginning Monday. Chicago (78-45) begin its trek by dropping two of three in Colorado with the first loss ending on a throw into the dugout and Sunday's 11-4 setback marred by four errors, including three in the Rockies' seven-run first inning.

The Cubs own a 12-game lead over St. Louis in the National League Central and a five-game bulge on Washington for best record after going 5-4 in their last nine games. Red-hot Chicago third baseman Kris Bryant (.300, 31 home runs, 83 RBIs) is 11-for-20 with three homers, 10 RBIs and seven runs in his last four games as he builds a strong case to win the NL Most Valuable Player award in his second season. San Diego began its seven-game homestand by taking three of four from Arizona, capped by Sunday's 9-1 victory which gave the Padres a two-game cushion on the last-place Diamondbacks in the NL West. The Cubs' Jon Lester is 4-0 with a 2.41 ERA in six starts since the All-Star break and opposes Edwin Jackson, who is coming off his worst start of the season.

TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, CSN Chicago, FSN San Diego

PITCHING MATCHUP: Cubs LH Jon Lester (13-4, 2.86 ERA) vs. Padres RH Edwin Jackson (3-3, 5.36)

Lester allowed one run and three hits with seven strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings of a 6-1 victory over Milwaukee on Wednesday. The 32-year-old Washington native, who makes his first start in San Diego, recorded 146 strikeouts in 148 innings this season and boasts a 1.07 WHIP that would be the lowest of his career. Lester is 1-1 with a 3.44 ERA in three starts against the Padres after an 8-7 victory May 10 in which he yielded three runs and four hits in six innings.

Jackson allowed nine hits and a season-high eight runs in four innings of a 15-1 loss at Tampa Bay on Tuesday. The 32-year-old, who was 16-34 with a 5.37 ERA in 82 games (58 starts) with Chicago from 2013-15, is 3-2 with a 5.20 ERA in six turns with San Diego - his 11th team - since being acquired from Miami. Anthony Rizzo is 2-for-2 with a walk versus Jackson, who is 3-4 with a 5.58 ERA in nine games (eight starts) against the Cubs.

WALK-OFFS

1. Chicago's slumping RF Jason Heyward (.225, five home runs, 32 RBIs in 409 at-bats) was given the Colorado series off, but manager Joe Maddon is expected to write his name on the lineup card Monday.

2. Padres rookie OF Travis Jankowski (.258) has reached base in 20 straight games after belting his second home run of the season Sunday and is batting .333 with nine of his 26 stolen bases this year during that span.

3. Cubs OF Jorge Soler was limited to pinch-hitting duties Sunday after fouling a ball off his right knee Saturday and remains day-to-day as far as the starting lineup is concerned.

PREDICTION: Cubs 3, Padres 2