Royals @ Cubs: Ventura vs. Wada (Game 48 Thread)
KC (29-18): RHP Yordano Ventura (3-4, 4.64)
CHC (25-22): LHP Tsuyoshi Wada (0-0, 2.70)
Escobar ss Infante 2b Cain cf Morales 1b *Gordon lf Perez c Rios rf Colon 3b Ventura p | #Fowler cf Bryant 3b *Rizzo 1b Castro ss *Montero c Soler rf *Coghlan lf *Wada p Russell 2b |
Wada switches spots with Hammel, who’s getting an extra day because of his ongoing nail issue and an extra extra day because of the rainout. Yesterday’s game will be made up on Monday Sept. 28, when KC is in town to face the Southsiders.
Wada has decent if abbreviated numbers since coming off the DL for his two winless starts. He might have been on an informal or unstated pitch count as he works himself back (69 against SD and 83 against WAS). When asked about Wada going longer, Maddon responded: “It just depends. It’s not a 100-pitch exercise.” Only Butera (with 1 official AB and a BB) has ever faced Wada in the regular season.
STL beat Ventura his last time out, when he went 7 and gave up 4 ER. He has pretty electric stuff--his fastball was ranked second among starters for all of MLB last year--but his control is inconsistent. If the Cubs start chasing, it could get ugly fast. Only 4 Cubs have a handful of bats against him (Fowler, Lake, Montero, and Ross). Ross has 2 ABs, with a HR.
Alex Rios returns for KC after a fractured left hand put him on the DL in the second week of the season. He went 3-17 with a HR in his rehab assignment.
Let’s hope for an early lead. The Cubbies like their late-inning heroics, but that's not how you beat KC. And if the Royals continue to hit HRs, we should have someone check the pine tar on their bats.
Go Cubs!
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