Cubs vs. Cleveland: Series Thread (Games 49 & 50)
With first place still in their possession and an Alec Mills no-hitter under their belt, the Cubs return to Wrigley to take on the first of several AL central opponents. Cleveland comes into the series in third place, 5 games out of first and 2 games out of second. The Cubs begin the series 4 games up in the division.
Game 1, Tuesday, Sep. 15, 7:15 pm central
CHC: RHP Yu Darvish (7-2, 1.77 ERA)
CLE: RHP Carlos Carrasco (2-4, 3.12 ERA)
Yu Darvish ended a 7-game winning streak when he allowed 3 earned runs to the Reds over 6 innings. After a wild first inning, he returned to the dominant form to which Cubs fans are now accustomed. He has roughly 3 starts remaining and 72 strikeouts. If everything breaks right, he could strikeout 100 and win 10 games in this 60 game season.
After missing most of 2019 as he recovered from leukemia, Carlos Carrasco appears not to have missed a beat. The Cubs will be fortunate to miss Cy Young probable Shane Bieber, but the veteran Carrasco continues to strike out more than 10 opponents for 9 innings, holds walks at a reasonable level, and elicits ground balls at a more than respectable rate. Current Cubs have hardly seen him at all. Rizzo is 2-2 with a homerun. Billy Hamilton, who used to have to bat, is 3-10 with a triple.
Game 2, Wednesday, Sep. 16, 7:15 pm central
CHC: LHP Jon Lester (2-2, 5.05 ERA)
CLE: RHP Aaron Civale (3-5, 3.88 ERA)
Lester could not earn a decision in the Cubs 1-0 loss to the Brewers, but he pitched 6 scoreless innings and struck out a season high 8 opponents. Can he translate that success from the floundering Brewers' hitters to the merely middling Cleveland lineup? Francisco Lindor (4-11 with a homerun) and Franmil Reyes (5-7 with a homerun) have had Lester's number in limited exposure.
Aaron Civale debuted in 2019 and made 10 major league starts. Including his 9 starts in 2020, he now has a 3.11 ERA and a 6-9 career record. He brings a low 90s fastball and a troubling mix of off-speed stuff, including both a cutter and a slider, a nasty curve, and a changeup. Only Cameron Maybin (1-5) has faced him before.
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