Mariners at Cubs
With four weeks left in the regular season, the Chicago Cubs are seeking consistency after an up-and-down stretch has pushed them three games out in the National League Central entering Monday’s series opener against the visiting Seattle Mariners. The Cubs were shut out in back-to-back losses to Milwaukee while losing a home series over the weekend and suffered a big scare when All-Star shortstop Javier Baez left Sunday’s 4-0 defeat with a jammed left thumb.
X-rays were negative and Baez may play Monday, which is good news for a Chicago team that currently holds the second NL wild card spot but went 0-for-15 with runners in scoring position and left 17 on base in those back-to-back defeats - following a four-game winning streak. Right fielder Nicholas Castellanos went hitless Sunday but has collected a hit in 22 of his first 29 games since being acquired from Detroit at the trade deadline with nine doubles, 11 homers and 20 RBIs. The Mariners improved to 2-2 on their three-city, 10-game road trip with Sunday’s 11-3 victory at Texas, getting a double and two singles from outfielder Tim Lopes to give him hits in eight of his past 10 contests. Seattle outfielder Mallex Smith scored three times while going 2-for-5, and the major-league leader in stolen bases (39) has recorded a hit or a walk in 66 of his past 81 games.
TV: 2:20 p.m. ET, ROOT Northwest (Seattle), WGN (Chicago)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Mariners LH Justus Sheffield (0-1, 7.94 ERA) vs. Cubs RH Kyle Hendricks (9-9, 3.47)
Sheffield gets his third consecutive turn through the rotation after mixed results in two August starts, allowing eight runs on 13 hits with eight strikeouts over 8 1/3 innings. The 23-year-old gave up five runs on six hits across 4 1/3 innings to take the loss Wednesday against the New York Yankees (with whom he made his big-league debut last season), five days after allowing three runs on seven hits in four frames against Toronto. Sheffield, who surrendered two runs in a three-inning relief appearance in April, went 7-9 with a 4.13 ERA in 25 games (24 starts) between Triple-A Tacoma and Double-A Arkansas this season.
There was little middle ground in August for Hendricks, who gave up a combined three runs on seven hits in 20 1/3 innings over three starts and surrendered 13 runs on 20 hits in 7 1/3 frames across his other two outings. The 29-year-old allowed six runs on eight hits over 4 2/3 innings in his last outing Wednesday at the New York Mets, six days after he shut out San Francisco while allowing three hits, no walks and striking out seven in seven innings. Hendricks has been outstanding at home, going 5-2 with a 1.79 ERA and 0.81 WHIP in 11 starts.
WALK-OFFS
1. Chicago RHP Yu Darvish was scratched from Sunday’s start with right forearm tightness, but manager Joe Maddon told reporters Darvish is expected to make his next start Saturday at Milwaukee.
2. Seattle 1B Daniel Vogelbach, who hit .130 in August, opened September by going 2-for-3 with a homer Sunday.
3. Cubs INF/OF Ben Zobrist did not play Sunday in his first game since coming off the restricted list, as he was in the on-deck circle to pinch hit when the game ended.