Giants at Cubs
The Chicago Cubs and red-hot Anthony Rizzo continue pursuit of the National League Central title or a wild card spot as they host the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday in the middle contest of their three-game series. Rizzo has four home runs in his last five games after belting two for his first multi-homer contest of the season in Tuesday's 5-3 victory, making him the seventh Cub with at least six 25-homer campaigns and leading Chicago to its third straight victory.
The Cubs trail St. Louis by one-half game in the NL Central but own a two-game lead for the final wild card berth while sitting one game behind Washington for the top spot. Chicago is also receiving big contributions from Nicholas Castellanos, who is batting .365 with seven home runs, nine RBIs and six doubles in 18 games since being acquired from Detroit after going 3-for-5 with a solo shot Tuesday. San Francisco, which has lost 13 of its last 16 at Wrigley Field, fell 4 1/2 games behind the Cubs in the wild card standings. Chicago's Yu Darvish is in top form as he takes the mound Wednesday opposite Dereck Rodriguez, who was sharp in his return from the minors.
TV: 8:05 p.m. ET, NBCS Bay Area (San Francisco), NBCS Chicago
PITCHING MATCHUP: Giants RH Dereck Rodriguez (5-6, 4.79 ERA) vs. Cubs RH Yu Darvish (4-6, 4.21)
Rodriguez was recalled from Triple-A Sacramento and allowed three hits and a walk in seven shutout innings of a 7-0 victory at Arizona on Thursday. The 27-year-old Texas native and son of Hall of Fame catcher Ivan Rodriguez has appeared in 20 games (11 starts) for San Francisco this season, yielding 73 hits in 71 1/3 innings. Rodriguez has faced Chicago once, recording three shutout innings of relief in a 5-4 victory July 11, 2018.
Darvish permitted four hits and struck out 10 in seven scoreless innings of the Cubs' 7-5 loss at Philadelphia on Thursday. The 33-year-old native of Japan is 2-2 with a 2.36 ERA and 57 strikeouts against two walks over his last seven starts while not issuing a free pass in his last four turns. The Giants' Evan Longoria is 3-for-18 against Darvish, who is 1-0 with a 2.77 ERA in two starts against San Francisco after allowing four runs in a no-decision July 23 at Oracle Park.
WALK-OFFS
1. Chicago on Tuesday activated RHP Steve Cishek from the 10-day injured list (hip) and optioned INF David Bote to Triple-A Iowa.
2. Sammy Sosa boasts a dozen 25-homer campaigns in Cubs annals followed by Billy Williams (10), Ernie Banks (10), Ron Santo (eight), Aramis Ramirez (seven), Ryne Sandberg (six) and Rizzo (six).
3. Chicago is 42-19 at home and 25-39 on the road - the largest differential in baseball.