Cubs at Pirates
The Chicago Cubs can't seem to pull away from the pack in the National League Central and enter the final week before the All-Star break tied with the Milwaukee Brewers for the top spot. The inability to gain any ground is allowing the rest of the division to stay in the race, and the Pittsburgh Pirates will try to knock a game off their deficit when they host the Cubs in the opener of a four-game series on Monday.
Chicago, which is in the midst of a stretch of nine straight road games leading into the All-Star break, began the trip by dropping two of three at Cincinnati over the weekend and is 8-12 over the last 20 games while going 0-3-3 in its last six series. "It could have been a lot worse," Cubs manager Joe Maddon told reporters after watching his team cap off a 14-15 June with an 8-6 loss at the Reds on Sunday. "That's the team we've been the entire month. We haven't played well enough to be better than that." The Pirates enter the week five games behind Chicago after failing to bring the bats over the weekend and scoring one run in back-to-back losses at Milwaukee. Pittsburgh will try to muster some support on Monday for right-hander Trevor Williams while the Cubs give promising rookie Adbert Alzolay his second start.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, ESPN, NBCS Chicago, AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh
PITCHING MATCHUP: Cubs RH Adbert Alzolay (1-0, 2.08 ERA) vs. Pirates RH Trevor Williams (2-2, 4.25)
Alzolay is making his second career start after holding the Atlanta Braves to one run on one hit over 4 2/3 innings on Tuesday. The 24-year-old Venezuelan has allowed a total of two hits in 8 2/3 innings, including a four-inning relief stint in his debut against the New York Mets on June 20, but both of those hits left the yard. Alzolay went 2-1 with a 3.09 ERA and 46 strikeouts in 32 innings over six starts for Triple-A Iowa before being recalled.
Williams is making his third start since recovering from a strained right side and struggled in his first two outings off the injured list, allowing 11 runs on 17 hits - four homers - over 11 2/3 combined innings. The 27-year-old yielded four homers in his first nine starts before suffering the injury and was carrying a 3.33 ERA. Williams went 1-2 in three starts against Chicago last season despite posting a 2.50 ERA.
WALK-OFFS
1. Cubs 3B-OF Kris Bryant was added as a reserve to the NL All-Star roster on Sunday, joining teammates C Willson Contreras and SS Javier Baez.
2. Pirates 1B Josh Bell was added to the NL All-Star roster and will compete in the Home Run Derby.
3. Chicago RHP Kyle Hendricks (shoulder) is expected to come of the IL and start Tuesday.