Pitching for Chicago in this series finale is Brian Matusz. The 29-year-old lefty will come up from Triple-A to make a spot start this weekend. Matusz, who was signed by Chicago as a free agent back in June, threw in two games with the Iowa Cubs and was 0-0 with a 1.93 ERA. Matusz holds a cumulative 3.58 ERA across 10 appearances in the minors this year.
The Mariners, on the other hand, will have Felix Hernandez (5-4, 3.45 ERA) as their starting pitcher tonight. He has surrendered nine runs and 19 hits in 12.2 innings in two starts since coming off a two-month DL stint. Fortunately for him, the Mariners still won both of those games. His only start against the Cubs came in 2010, wherein he allowed two runs in nine innings in a 13-inning marathon loss.
There’s no denying the fact that the Chicago Cubs hold the edge in the batting department for tonight’s clash. The Cubs are second in the majors in on-base percentage (.345) and fourth in runs scored (522) this campaign. The Cubs are also third in the National League in the RBI department with 498 to their name this season. The Cubs displayed their offensive prowess in the opening two games of this series, outscoring the Seattle Mariners, 13-5.
That being said, the Mariners’ hitters also pack some offensive punch. They have hit a whopping 143 home runs this season, third-most in the American League this campaign. Spearheading the Mariners’ attack this season is Nelson Cruz. The Dominican star leads Seattle in homers (25) and on-base percentage (.371) this season. He will fancy his chances of extending that excellent form tonight as he has fared extremely well against Cubs starter Brian Matusz. Cruz is 7-of-12 in his career against the left-hander with two homers and five RBIs.
