A pair of teams riding high after series victories will meet in Chicago on Monday night, when the Cubs host the San Francisco Giants.
The Cubs enter winners in three of four games — including two of three in its weekend series win against the Milwaukee Brewers. Chicago, which leads the National League in nearly every major offensive category, outscored Milwaukee 16-2 over the first two games before falling 4-0 on Sunday.
The club’s positive vibes took a hit in the loss, as well, as star pitcher Shota Imanaga exited after 5 2/3 innings with a left hamstring strain. The injury was compounded with the lineups’ lack of offense, as the Cubs were shut out for just the second time this season. Manager Craig Counsell said that Imanaga will undergo an MRI exam before determining the pitcher’s next start.
“Obviously, you don’t want that to happen to anyone,” Cubs right fielder Kyle Tucker said of Imanaga’s injury. “He’s had a really good year to start off this year. He’s been great for us for a while now. Obviously, we’d like to have him continue to go back out there.”
Looking to help the team get back on track on Monday, left-hander Matthew Boyd (2-2, 2.70 ERA) gets the start. Boyd, 34, allowed two earned runs across five innings Wednesday in a no-decision against the host Pittsburgh Pirates, who won 4-3. Boyd, who signed a two-year, $29 million contract in December, will face the Giants for the first time in his 10-year career on Monday.
The Giants took advantage of the MLB-worst Colorado Rockies, taking three of four from their NL West foe over the weekend. After signing with San Francisco in the offseason, shortstop Willy Adames had his breakout series with his new team, finishing with six hits over four games — including his first two homers at home on Sunday in a 9-3 win.
“I’ve been feeling better at the plate,” Adames said. “I feel like the work that we’ve been putting in the cages and outside is paying off. It was more just building that confidence and going out there and believing in myself and believing in the approach. I think it’s been better the last two weeks. Hopefully, we can continue to build from that.”
Adames pushed his batting average to .230 on Sunday, to go with those four home runs and 18 RBIs. No stranger to battles with Chicago in the NL Central, Adames and company know they have their hands full with the sizzling Cubs.
“We know they’re playing really good baseball,” Adames said of Chicago. “They have a really good team. I feel like we play better when we’re playing against good teams. I feel like we focus and lock in even more.”
Landen Roupp (2-2, 5.10) starts for San Francisco on Monday, coming off a performance on Wednesday in which he surrendered four earned runs on seven hits in 4 1/3 innings in a 5-3 loss to the host San Diego Padres. Roupp, 26, is making his seventh start of the year and 11th of his career, and his first against the Cubs.
–Field Level Media
