The Chicago Cubs (18-19) will be trying to snap their three-game road losing streak when they face the Minnesota Twins (20-17) in the first game of their three-game interleague series on Friday night.
Drew Smyly, 3-1, 3.05 ERA, will get the start for the Cubs. The Twins will counter with Sonny Gray, 4-0, 1.35 ERA.
Chicago is 6-4 in its last 10 games against Minnesota.
**This preview was written before Thursday’s game was played**
The Cubs snapped their three-game losing streak with a win over the Cardinals in their last game. They will try to keep the momentum going with a win over the Twins, which will give them their second win in a row and snap their three-game road losing streak.
Chicago is averaging 4.95 runs per game. Their .269 batting average is third in the league. Their .343 on base percentage is second, while their .430 slugging percentage is seventh.
Nico Hoerner leads the Cubs with a .303 batting average, while Patrick Wisdom leads the team with 12 home runs and 23 RBI.
Chicago’s pitching has been good, with the team giving up 3.65 runs per game. Opponents have a .225 batting average against the Cubs, which is fourth in the league. Their 3.42 ERA is fifth, while their 1.15 WHIP is third.
In his last start, Smyly gave up three hits and tw o runs in 3.1 innings, leading to a 4-2 win over Miami. They will need a better effort from him if they want to win this game.
Nico Hoerner (Hamstring) is questionable for this game.