The Cubs and Astros, two teams with similar struggles, are set to face off this weekend. Both teams find themselves in a slump, hoping to turn things around. Wrigley Field will host the series. The Cubs enter the series after losing nine of their last 11 games. The Astros are 4-8 since the same date.
Cubs’ Recent Woes
The Cubs have fallen from their first-place perch, which they had held since the start of the month. They now sit in second place, 1 1/2 games behind the Brewers. In their last 11 games, the Cubs have been outscored 59-31, scoring three runs or fewer in nine of those games. Their collective batting average is .182, and they have been outhomered 20-7.
Alex Bregman is the only Cubs player with double-digit hits in this stretch, with 12. Pete Crow-Armstrong and Ian Happ both have four hits in their last 37 at-bats. Dansby Swanson is 5-for-34. Moises Ballesteros is 1-for-18. Matt Shaw is hitless in 14 at-bats in limited play.
“We’re in a funk right now, and it’s up to us to change it,’’ Cubs manager Craig Counsell said.
Astros’ Struggles Mirror Cubs’
The Astros are currently 11 games under .500 and sit in fourth place in the AL West. They are batting .186 over the same stretch as the Cubs and averaging just 1.9 runs a game. During this time, they have been outscored 52-23.
“I think right now we’re struggling a little bit,’’ Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez told reporters.
Pitching Concerns for Both Sides
In their last two full turns through the rotation, Shota Imanaga is the only Cubs starter with an outing longer than five innings. He went seven innings, allowing two runs, in a 4-1 loss to the Braves. He then went just 4 1/3 innings against the Brewers, allowing eight runs in a 9-3 loss.
Edward Cabrera was lifted after throwing one pitch in the fourth inning due to a blister on his middle finger. The Cubs should know by Friday whether he can make his next start. If he can, Counsell might elect to give Imanaga a sixth day of rest and slot Ben Brown, who would be working on regular rest, on Sunday. Jameson Taillon is scheduled to face the Astros on Friday, with Colin Rea pitching Saturday.
The Astros, who are already missing Hunter Brown and Cristian Javier, lost Lance McCulle.
Wrigley Winds reports that the wind will be blowing in for all three games.