Series preview: at Chicago Cubs
When (TV): 4:05 p.m. Friday (FSSO), 4:05 p.m. Saturday (FSSO), 2:20 p.m. Sunday (FSSO)
Radio: 680, 93.7, 106.7
Probable starting pitchers:
Friday: Braves LH Alex Wood (6-7, 3.14 ERA) vs. RH Jake Arrieta (5-1, 1.78 ERA)
Saturday: Braves LH Mike Minor (2-5, 4.54) vs. RH Edwin Jackson (5-9, 5.05)
Sunday: Braves RH Julio Teheran (8-6, 2.57) vs. LH Travis Wood (6-7, 3.14)
About the Braves:
Batting: The Braves went 0-for-7 with RISP Wednesday to fall to 5-for-38 (.132) with no extra-base hits with runners in scoring position during their four-game losing streak. Andrelton Simmons was 0-for-8 after snapping his streak of six straight two-hit games which raised his average from .251 to .266. Freddie Freeman failed to reach base going 0-for-4 night Wednesday, snapping a streak of 26 consecutive games in which he'd reached safely. He had batted .353 (36-for-102) with a .442 on-base percentage over that stretch, with 14 extra-base hits and 14 RBIs.
Pitching: Wood is 1-1 with a 2.25 ERA and a .174 opponents' batting average in three starts since returning to the Braves rotation after Gavin Floyd fractured his elbow. Wood has made three straight quality starts, but lost his last outing 3-1 to Arizona despite allowing only two earned runs in seven innings. He pitched against the Cubs twice in relief in May, giving up three hits but no runs while striking out four in two innings.
Miscellaneous: The Braves clinched the NL East on their previous trip to Wrigley Field, celebrating with a champagne shower after Teheran's 5-2 win Sept. 22. The Braves have won 10 of their past 16 games at Wrigley Field since 2009, claiming four of the past five series. The Braves are looking for left-handed relief on the trade market and could find a fit with the Cubs who have left-handers James Russell and Wesley Wright.
About the Cubs:
Batting: Highly-touted prospect Arismendy Alcantara, second baseman/outfielder, was called up with Darwin Barney on paternity leave. He went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts in his debut Wednesday then came back with a four-hit game Thursday against the Reds, including a double, a triple, two runs scored and three RBIs. Chris Coghlan had a nine-game hitting streak snapped Thursday, during which he hit .452 (14-for-31) with four doubles, two home runs and six RBIs.
Pitching: The youth movement is in full effect after the Cubs traded two-fifths of its rotation in Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel to Oakland for a package of prospects. Dallas Beeler, Tsuyoshi Wada and Kyle Hendricks all made their major league debuts since the July 4 trade and will vie with former A's prospect Dan Straily for the open two spots in the rotation. The Braves open against the Cubs' hottest pitcher though. Arrieta has a 0.99 ERA over his past seven starts, with nine walks and 53 strikeouts. He's 5-2 since May 27, and the Cubs scored only four runs combined in the two losses.
Miscellaneous: The Cubs needed a 6-4 win over the Reds in 12 innings Thursday to snap a six-game losing streak and avoid their first five-game sweep to the Reds since 1931. The Cubs are 2-6 since the blockbuster trade with Oakland and stand 12 games behind Milwaukee in last place in the NL Central. Cubs First baseman Anthony Rizzo beat out Justin Morneau and Justin Upton for the NL All-Star Final Vote Thursday.
- Carroll Rogers
