Mariners look to stop 3-game losing streak against Cubs
Chicago Cubs (15-12, second in the NL Central) vs. Seattle Mariners (18-14, second in the NL West)
Seattle; Wednesday, 6 p.m. EDT
PITCHING PROBABLES: Cubs: Jon Lester (1-1, 2.37 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 19 strikeouts) Mariners: Marco Gonzales (1-0, 2.80 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 34 strikeouts)
LINE: Cubs favored by 1 1/2 runs; over/under is 8 1/2 runs
BOTTOM LINE: Seattle enters the matchup as losers of their last three games.
The Mariners are 7-10 on their home turf. Seattle's team on-base percentage of .339 leads the American League. Daniel Vogelbach leads the lineup with an OBP of .462.
The Cubs are 8-8 on the road. The Chicago offense has compiled a .257 batting average as a team this season, Jason Heyward leads the team with a mark of .309. The Cubs won the last meeting 6-5. Brad Brach earned his third victory and Anthony Rizzo went 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs for Chicago. Brandon Brennan took his second loss for Seattle.
TOP PERFORMERS: Mitch Haniger leads the Mariners with 19 extra base hits and is batting .244. Edwin Encarnacion is 5-for-33 with three home runs and six RBIs over the last 10 games for Seattle.
Javier Baez leads the Cubs with 22 RBIs and is batting .302. Rizzo is 13-for-38 with five doubles, a triple, three home runs and eight RBIs over the last 10 games for Chicago.
LAST 10 GAMES: Mariners: 4-6, .218 batting average, 4.96 ERA, outscored by 18 runs
Cubs: 7-3, .239 batting average, 3.22 ERA, outscored opponents by nine runs
Mariners Injuries: Sam Tuivailala: 10-day IL (achilles), Hunter Strickland: 60-day IL (lat), Wade LeBlanc: 10-day IL (oblique), Gerson Bautista: 10-day IL (pectoral), Kyle Seager: 60-day IL (hand).
Cubs Injuries: Brandon Morrow: 10-day IL (elbow), Mike Montgomery: 10-day IL (shoulder), Kendall Graveman: 60-day IL (elbow), Xavier Cedeno: 10-day IL (wrist), Tony Barnette: 10-day IL (shoulder), Victor Caratini: 10-day IL (hand).
