The Chicago Cubs will host a three-game series against the Houston Astros from June 29 through July 1, 2012. The probable pitchers in this series include Matt Garza, Travis Wood, Paul Maholm, Bud Norris, J.A. Happ and Wandy Rodriguez.
The Cubs were in the midst of their 12-game losing streak when these teams met in May. The Cubs enter this series with MLB's worst record (26-49). The Astros have a 32-44 record. The Cubs won two of three games against the New York Mets from June 25 through June 27. However, the Mets won 17-1 on June 27.
All times are central time zone. The probable pitchers are updated as of June 29 on Cubs.mlb.com. The Cubs are represented by the pitchers in italics. Batter versus pitcher data is from ESPN.
June 29, 1:20 p.m.
Paul Maholm (4-6, 5.38 ERA) vs. Bud Norris (5-4, 4.81 ERA)
Paul Maholm didn't pitch when these teams met in May. Current Astros hitters are 19-for-88 (.216 batting average) with a .260 on-base percentage (OBP) against him. Carlos Lee is 14-for-54 (.259 batting average) with seven RBIs, four doubles and two walks.
June 30, 3:05 p.m.
Matt Garza (3-6, 4.06 ERA) vs. J.A. Happ (6-7, 4.83 ERA)
Matt Garza surrendered seven earned runs in three innings when these teams met on May 21. Despite that disappointing performance, current Astros hitters are 12-for-62 (.194 batting average) with a .242 OBP against him. Lee is 5-for-15 (.333 batting average) with six RBIs, two home runs, two doubles and one walk. Chris Johnson is 2-for-4 (.500 batting average) with three RBIs, one homer and one walk.
July 1, 1:20 p.m.
Travis Wood (2-3, 3.54 ERA) vs. Wandy Rodriguez (6-5, 3.52 ERA)
Travis Wood was charged with a loss when these teams met on May 22. Wood surrendered two earned runs and two hits through 5.2 innings in a 2-1 loss. Current Astros hitters are 11-for-55 (.200 batting average) with a .262 OBP against him. Lee is 2-for-12 (.167 batting average) with one walk. Jose Altuve is the only player with a home run. No one has more than two hits.
Fan's Take
The Cubs have a 4-17 record against left-handed starting pitchers. Don't expect Bryan LaHair to start any of the weekend games since Happ and Rodriguez are left-handed pitchers. Norris has a 1.89 ERA in 33.1 innings against the Cubs. This will be his first start since he was placed on the disabled list on June 17. His 4.81 ERA was skewed from an appearance against the Colorado Rockies in Coors Field.
The Cubs often struggle against the Astros. However, they have a decent chance to win their second consecutive series. For this to happen, Garza needs to win his start on June 30. Garza vs. Happ is their most-favorable pitching matchup.The Astros have a 9-25 road record (.265 win percentage).
Joshua Huffman grew up in Michigan's Upper Peninsula as a Green Bay Packers and Chicago Cubs enthusiast. He immediately gained an admiration for Cubs fans after watching numerous games on WGN during the mid-90s. His favorite Cubs moment was Kerry Wood's(notes) 1-hitter, 20K extravaganza that was only denied of a no-hitter by Kevin Orie's defensive blunder. As a Packers and Cubs fan, he suffered through Steve Bartman and "4th & 26" in a span of three months. He can be found on Twitter HERE.
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