The San Francisco Giants and Chicago Cubs are set for a three-game weekend series in the Windy City at famous Wrigley Field

San Francisco Giants at Chicago Cubs

San Francisco stands in first place in the National League West division thanks to an undefeated homestand and now heads to the Windy City to take on the Cubs for a three-game series.  “That’s definitely the homestand we needed,” said Giants starting pitcher Matt Cain.  The club has actually won eight of its last nine games overall and held a 26-10 scoring advantage in taking four of the last six meetings at Wrigley Field.  Giants manager Bruce Bochy deserves a ton of credit for the team’s success, especially in juggling six outfielders in and out of the lineup.  “It’s nice to have the flexibility,” said Bochy.  “Is it easier to have a set lineup and just put it out there and these guys know?  No question, that’s a lot easier.”  San Francisco is 6-8 in day games this year.

Giants starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner is 0-5 with a 4.21 ERA in seven starts this season, as the club has dropped six of his seven outings.  The left-hander has posted an 0-3 record and 3.18 ERA in four road outings, giving up just a single home run in 22.2 innings of work.  In two previous outings versus the Cubs, Bumgarner compiled a 1-0 mark and 2.13 ERA, issuing just three walks and striking out 12 in 12.2 frames.  He hasn’t performed well at all in the daytime, going 0-1 with a 6.52 ERA in two starts, while posting a 3.38 ERA in five nighttime appearances.

Chicago enters the series four games under .500 and will look for better results than its 2-5 record against San Francisco last year.  The Cubs have dropped two of three games to both the Reds and Cardinals to begin their nine-game homestand.  “This is a tough stretch,” said manager Mike Quade.  “The frustration for me is that we’re inconsistent.”  Offensively, the club is among the major league leaders batting .276, but are hitting .227 with runners in scoring position.  Chicago is 7-10 in day games this year and 87-86 under the sun the past three seasons.

Cubs starting pitcher Ryan Dempster brings in a 1-4 record and 7.20 ERA into this contest and the club has alternated wins and losses over his last seven outings.  The right-hander is 0-3 with a 6.49 ERA in four home starts, surrendering six home runs in just 26.1 innings.  He has toed the rubber in five daytime appearances, producing an 0-3 mark and 6.89 ERA, as hitters have managed to hit .294 against him.  Dempster will  be making his 24th career appearance (14th start) versus the Giants, bringing in a 4-8 mark and 4.76 ERA, including an even 1-1 record and 10.80 ERA in two outings last year.

Bettors will be interested in playing the Cubs this afternoon due to their 24-10 record following a loss, while the Giants are 1-6 in Bumgarner’s last seven starts.