Cubs at Giants
The San Francisco Giants have a huge decision to make soon, as they are in the thick of the National League wild-card race as the July 31 trade deadline approaches. Depending on the choice they make, Madison Bumgarner could be making his final start for the Giants when they host the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday for the middle contest of their three-game series.
A four-time All-Star and the 2014 World Series MVP who has helped San Francisco to three world championships, Bumgarner is the most coveted pitcher available as teams attempt to beef up their rotations for the final two months of the season. The Giants' post-break surge continued Monday as Austin Slater and Joe Panik delivered back-to-back RBI doubles during a three-run eighth inning as the club rallied for its 10th win in 12 games since the Midsummer Classic, a 5-4 victory in the series opener. Panik finished with three hits for San Francisco, which remained two games behind St. Louis for the second NL wild card. Robel Garcia and Kyle Schwarber belted solo homers in Monday's loss for the Cubs, whose lead in the NL Central was reduced to 1 1/2 games over the Cardinals.
TV: 9:45 p.m. ET, ABC 7 (Chicago), NBCS Bay Area (San Francisco)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Cubs RH Yu Darvish (3-4, 4.46 ERA) vs. Giants LH Madison Bumgarner (5-7, 3.65)
Darvish ended his 13-start winless drought on Wednesday as he allowed two hits and hit a pair of batters in six scoreless innings against Cincinnati. The 32-year-old native of Japan had not won since April 27 at Arizona, settling for 10 consecutive no-decisions before suffering a loss to Atlanta on June 26. Darvish won his only career start versus the Giants on Sept. 13, 2017, when he scattered three hits over seven scoreless frames in San Francisco while with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
After yielding a total of 11 runs over two starts in mid-June, Bumgarner has given up six over 29 innings in his last five turns. The 29-year-old from North Carolina won the first two of those outings but has settled for three straight no-decisions, including one against the New York Mets on Thursday in which he allowed one run and five hits over nine frames. Bumgarner has been dominant versus Chicago during his career, going 9-2 with a 2.17 ERA in 13 starts.
WALK-OFFS
1. Cubs LHP Cole Hamels (oblique) is scheduled to throw 40-50 pitches during a rehab start for Triple-A Iowa on Tuesday.
2. San Francisco recalled RHP Sam Coonrod from Triple-A Sacramento prior to Monday's contest and optioned LHP Conner Menez to the River Cats.
3. Chicago recalled Rowan Wick from Iowa and optioned fellow RHP Carl Edwards Jr. to the Pacific Coast League affiliate.