Reds at Cubs
Anthony Rizzo looks to continue his hot hitting and lead the Chicago Cubs to another series victory when they host the National League Central-rival Cincinnati Redson Sunday for the rubber match of their three-game set. Rizzo, who missed the series in Cincinnati last week due to a back injury, doubled in a pair of runs in Saturday’s 8-6 victory and is 13-for-29 with four homers and 11 RBIs during his seven-game hitting streak.
Kris Bryant also is swinging a sizzling bat for the Cubs, going 9-for-17 over his last four games, while Addison Russell stepped up Saturday with a two-run homer among three hits after going 4-for-23 in his previous eight contests. Jose Quintana gets the ball in the series finale for first-place Chicago while Tanner Roark starts for the Reds after they each allowed three runs over five innings en route to a loss in last week's series. Yasiel Puig homered for the second straight day in Saturday’s setback after sitting out two games with a shoulder injury while Eugenio Suarez has gone 5-for-9 with a homer and three RBIs in the series for the Reds, who battled back to forge a tie twice before falling to 8-22 in their last 30 contests at Wrigley Field. “I think we have a really resilient group in this locker room,” Cincinnati catcher Tucker Barnhart told mlb.com. “We have a team where we feel we’re never out of a game. … We’re going to make it tough on teams to hold us down and keep us out of the game. Hopefully, keep moving forward.”
TV: 2:20 p.m. ET, FS Ohio (Cincinnati), WGN (Chicago)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Reds RH Tanner Roark (3-3, 3.51 ERA) vs. Cubs LH Jose Quintana (4-3, 3.30)
Roark has produced a 2.78 ERA and limited opponents to a .205 batting average while splitting four decisions this month after posting 4.08 and .289 marks in April. The 32-year-old native of Illinois is 2-0 in four road starts this year and has held opponents to fewer than three runs in six of his last eight overall outings. Bryant is 7-for-14 with a homer versus Roark, who is 5-3 with a 3.93 ERA in nine career appearances (eight starts) against the Cubs.
Quintana has pitched reasonably well in his last three starts, allowing six runs over 17 2/3 innings, but received just five runs of support and suffered two losses. The 30-year-old Colombian held Philadelphia to two hits over six scoreless frames on Tuesday but was not involved in the decision. Joey Votto is 8-for-17 with four doubles against Quintana, who is 3-3 with a 3.93 ERA in seven career starts versus the Reds.
WALK-OFFS
1. Chicago RF Jason Heyward, who launched a solo homer on Saturday, is hitless in 22 career at-bats versus Roark.
2. Barnhart is 7-for-17 with two homers and five RBIs during his five-game hitting streak after recording a season-high three hits on Saturday.
3. Cubs RHP Dillon Maples retired two batters on Saturday to notch the victory after being recalled from Triple-A Iowa along with LHP Tim Collins earlier in the day.