Cubs at Brewers
Christian Yelich is enjoying another MVP-caliber season, but no player in the major leagues has been a better hitter over the last two-plus weeks than teammate Keston Hiura. The red-hot rookie looks to extend his hitting streak to 16 games on Sunday, when his Milwaukee Brewers set their sights on a three-game sweep of the visiting Chicago Cubs.
Hiura knotted Saturday's game at 2-2 with an RBI double in the eighth inning and followed a game-tying solo homer by Yelich in the 10th with a walk-off, two-run shot to send Milwaukee to a third straight win and into a tie with Chicago for second place in the National League Central - one game behind St. Louis. The 22-year-old second baseman is batting .473 during his streak, which matches Nori Aoki (2012) and Paul Molitor (1978) for the second-longest in club history by a rookie. The Cubs' latest defeat is their fifth in six games and dropped them to an NL-worst 19-31 on the road. Chicago's biggest problem during its recent funk has been the bullpen, which has combined to blow four saves and post a 7.94 ERA in the five losses.
TV: 2:10 p.m. ET, ABC 7 (Chicago), FS Wisconsin. WYTU (Milwaukee)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Cubs LH Jose Quintana (8-7, 4.42 ERA) vs. Brewers RH Zach Davies (8-3, 3.17)
Quintana matched a career best by winning his fourth straight start last Saturday against San Diego despite surrendering five runs - including three homers - over five innings. The 30-year-old Colombian had been much more effective in his previous three outings, logging a quality start each time while posting a 2.84 ERA. Quintana has lost both of his starts against the Brewers this season, giving up eight runs in three frames in Milwaukee on April 5 and three over 6 2/3 innings at home on May 10.
Davies' recent dominance came to an emphatic halt in Tuesday's loss to Cincinnati as he was roughed up for seven runs - six earned - on nine hits and a walk over four innings. The 26-year-old had been stingy over his previous four outings despite winning only once in that stretch, allowing a total of three runs - two earned - in 23 1/3 frames. Kris Bryant (15-for-46, two homers) has fared particularly well against Davies, who has yielded one earned run over 12 innings in two starts versus the Cubs this season.
WALK-OFFS
1. Yelich, who matched last year's career-high home-run total with his major league-best 36th on Saturday, is batting .407 during his 15-game hitting streak.
2. After winning eight of the first nine meetings last year, the Cubs have gone 6-13 against the Brewers since.
3. With Saturday's loss, Chicago is 0-9-1 over its last 10 road series.