Patrick Wisdom will look to carry his power surge into June when the Chicago Cubs host the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday night in the finale of their four-game series.
Eight of Wisdom’s 11 home runs this season came in May, and he capped the month on a high note, blasting a solo shot in the eighth inning Tuesday to lift the Cubs to an 8-7 victory.
Willson Contreras and P.J. Higgins also homered as part of the Cubs’ 12-hit showing.
If they can keep the offense rolling, the Cubs can split the series with their division rival after dropping both games of a doubleheader on Monday.
Christopher Morel also will look to stay hot after extending his hitting streak to 11 games on Tuesday. The rookie is hitting .283 (13-for-46) during that span with three doubles, a triple and four RBIs.
“The thing about Morel is just the way he gets on base, the way he looks in the dugout, the energy he brings, the way he claps,” Chicago manager David Ross said. “His love for the game is contagious, and I think a lot of guys just feed off that for sure.”
Right-hander Kyle Hendricks (2-5, 5.20 ERA) will start for the Cubs and will look to get back on track after posting back-to-back losses.
He has been roughed up over his last two starts, posting an ERA of 11.00 in nine innings.
Hendricks went only four innings against the Reds in his most recent outing, allowing four runs on five hits while walking one and striking out one.
Milwaukee hopes to hand Hendricks his third consecutive loss as it attempts to bounce back after its three-game winning streak was snapped on Tuesday.
Brewers manager Craig Counsell had to dive deep into his bullpen, using five relievers after starter Eric Lauer went just four innings.
“He (Lauer) just had to work really hard in every inning it felt like,” Counsell said. “We didn’t get an out with (Trevor) Kelley, so it didn’t kind of push us farther in the game, and that’s what makes you use five of five guys there.”
Right-hander Jason Alexander will be tasked with taking some weight off of the bullpen’s shoulders. He will make his major league debut Wednesday in place of Brandon Woodruff, who went to the 15-day IL with a high-ankle sprain.
Alexander went 6-2 with a 2.64 ERA in Triple-A this season.
On offense, Victor Caratini will look to close an impressive series against his former team. He has gone 3-for-7 (.429) with two home runs and four RBIs in two games against the Cubs and has homered in each of his last three games.
Kolten Wong also could make his return to the Brewers’ lineup after missing Tuesday’s game with a calf injury. He is listed as day-to-day.
–Field Level Media