Teams that ended the first half of the season on a positive note will clash on Friday as the Arizona Diamondbacks face off against the Chicago Cubs in a three-game series at Wrigley Field. Both teams are eager to continue their momentum and make a strong push as the second half of the season kicks off.
Diamondbacks: Riding High
The Arizona Diamondbacks enter the series with a 49-48 record, good for second place in the National League West. The team has been impressive, winning eight of their last 12 games leading up to the All-Star break. A major contributor to their success has been second baseman Ketel Marte, who's hitting .292 with 19 doubles, two triples, 19 home runs, 57 RBI, and 64 runs scored this season.
Marte was on fire just before the break, going 3-for-5 with a home run and four RBI in an 8-7 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. Over 30 career games against Chicago, Marte has maintained a .278 batting average, adding five doubles, one triple, five homers, and 14 RBI to his stats. Remarkably, he notched five multi-hit games in the last nine contests heading into the All-Star Game.
Supporting Marte, left fielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. has been consistent, recording hits in nine of his past 10 games. His standout performance came on July 3 against the Los Angeles Dodgers, where he went 2-for-5, including a double, a home run, three RBI, and two runs scored. Gurriel Jr. has also seen success against Chicago, with two doubles, two home runs, and nine RBI in 12 career games.
Ryne Nelson on the Mound
Starting the series opener for Arizona will be Ryne Nelson, who holds a 6-6 record with a 4.98 ERA. Nelson’s ability to handle the Cubs’ lineup will be crucial for the Diamondbacks as they look to maintain their competitive edge.
Cubs: Grit and Determination
On the other side of the diamond, the Chicago Cubs come into the series with a 47-51 record, sitting fifth in the NL Central. Despite their position, the Cubs are only 3.5 games out of the Wild Card, having won eight of their last 11 games to show their recent form and determination.
The Cubs bested the Diamondbacks earlier in the season, taking two out of three games in Phoenix. They'll look to repeat that success with Justin Steele on the mound. Steele, with a 2-3 record and a 2.71 ERA, has triumphed in his last two starts. His recent performance includes pitching seven innings, allowing just three hits while striking out four in an 8-0 victory against Baltimore on July 18. Over 14 starts this season, he has pitched 86.1 innings, allowed 64 hits, 26 earned runs, and 18 walks, while amassing 81 strikeouts.
Michael Busch: Reliable at the Plate
First baseman Michael Busch has also been reliable, going 3-for-5 with a double in a 5-4 loss in Game 2 of a doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals last Saturday. During a recent three-game sweep at Baltimore, Busch excelled, hitting 8-for-15 (.533) with three doubles, one homer, and four RBI. This season, the 25-year-old is batting .271 with 19 doubles, one triple, 12 homers, 36 RBI, and 46 runs scored over 91 games.
Historically, Arizona leads the all-time series against Chicago 98-85. However, the Cubs have fared better at home, with a 46-43 advantage in games played at Wrigley Field. Given that the Diamondbacks are a –119 favorite on the money line and Vegas has set the over/under at 7.5 runs, the match-up promises to be competitive.
The first pitch is slated for 2:20 p.m. ET. Both teams will look to carry their late first-half momentum into this crucial series as they aim for a strong start to the season's second half. Whether it's Marte and Gurriel Jr. for Arizona or Steele and Busch for Chicago, standout performances will be key in determining the series victor.