Cubs at Marlins
Nothing heals what ails a team quite like a matchup with the Miami Marlins these days. The Chicago Cubs look to continue their quick turnaround in South Florida when they attempt to complete a three-game sweep of the host Marlins on Wednesday.
The Cubs are within two games of .500 following a 1-6 start as they’ve won four of their last five contests. The Marlins haven’t put up much of a fight in the first two games of the series, as Chicago’s pitching staff easily has handled their overmatched lineup. Tuesday’s 4-0 defeat already was the fourth time this season Miami has been shut out and marked the 13th time in its first 18 contests it scored fewer than four runs. The Cubs have won five straight meetings with the Marlins dating back to last season.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, NBCS Chicago, FS Florida (Miami)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Cubs LH Cole Hamels (2-0, 3.79 ERA) vs. Marlins RH Sandy Alcantara (1-1, 4.24)
Hamels has been excellent in his last two starts, registering 11 strikeouts without a walk over 14 innings. The 35-year-old was dominant against the Los Angeles Angels on Friday, allowing just one run and four hits with six strikeouts over eight frames. Hamels is 10-15 with a 3.45 ERA in 38 career starts against Miami, including a 2-5 record and 3.14 ERA in 10 turns at Marlins Park.
Alcantara dazzled Colorado in his season debut, striking out six batters over eight scoreless innings, but he hasn’t been able to produce any magic in his last two starts. The 23-year-old Dominican was tagged for six runs and 11 hits over five frames in a loss to Philadelphia on Friday after issuing five walks without recording a strikeout over four innings in his previous turn at Atlanta. Alcantara twice faced the Cubs in relief in 2017, allowing two unearned runs over 1 2/3 frames.
WALK-OFFS
1. Miami INF-OF Martin Prado went 0-for-4 on Tuesday, ending his eight-game hitting streak.
2. The Marlins on Tuesday optioned SS JT Riddle to Triple-A New Orleans and placed RHP Austin Brice (gastroenteritis) on the injured list while recalling LHP Jarlin Garcia and purchasing the contract of OF Isaac Galloway from the Baby Cakes.
3. Chicago LHP Mike Montgomery (lat) was scheduled for a rehab outing with Single-A South Bend on Tuesday, but he instead will pitch Wednesday after his wife gave birth to the couple’s son.