Los Angeles opens 4-game series at home against Cubs
Chicago Cubs (38-29, second in the NL Central) vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (45-23, first in the NL West)
Los Angeles; Thursday, 10 p.m. EDT
PITCHING PROBABLES: Cubs: Jon Lester (5-4, 3.56 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 62 strikeouts) Dodgers: Clayton Kershaw (5-1, 3.00 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 59 strikeouts)
BOTTOM LINE: Los Angeles and Chicago are set to begin a four-game series.
The Dodgers are 25-7 on their home turf. Los Angeles has hit 104 home runs this season, eighth in the league. Cody Bellinger leads the club with 20, averaging one every 11.8 at-bats.
The Cubs are 14-18 on the road. Chicago has slugged .453, good for fourth in in the MLB. Javier Baez leads the club with a .571 slugging percentage, including 37 extra-base hits and 17 home runs. This is the first meeting of the season for these two teams.
TOP PERFORMERS: Bellinger leads the Dodgers with 35 extra base hits and is slugging .678. David Freese is 8-for-21 with four doubles, three home runs and six RBIs over the last 10 games for Los Angeles.
Baez leads the Cubs with 37 extra base hits and is slugging .571. Kyle Schwarber is 12-for-38 with three doubles, four home runs and 11 RBIs over the last 10 games for Chicago.
LAST 10 GAMES: Dodgers: 6-4, .249 batting average, 2.05 ERA, outscored opponents by 20 runs
Cubs: 7-3, .262 batting average, 3.68 ERA, outscored opponents by 21 runs
Dodgers Injuries: Tony Cingrani: 10-day IL (shoulder), Scott Alexander: 10-day IL (forearm), A.J. Pollock: 10-day IL (elbow), Corey Seager: day-to-day (hamstring), David Freese: day-to-day (knee), Matt Beaty: 10-day IL (hip).
Cubs Injuries: Allen Webster: 60-day IL (hand), Brandon Morrow: 60-day IL (elbow), Kendall Graveman: 60-day IL (elbow), Steve Cishek: day-to-day (knee), Xavier Cedeno: 10-day IL (wrist), Tony Barnette: 60-day IL (shoulder).
