(SportsNetwork.com) – Jeff Locke eyes his third win of the season on Tuesday
when the Pittsburgh Pirates resume a three-game series with the Chicago Cubs
at Wrigley Field.
After two impressive starts to open the year, Locke was banged around a bit on
Thursday by the Cubs, who reached him for four runs and seven hits in five
innings. Locke also walked three batters, but did not factor in the decision
of his team’s 5-4 win.
Locke, who hasn’t pitched at Wrigley since June of 2013, is 2-0 on the season
with a 3.32 ERA.
Chicago will hand the ball to lefty Travis Wood, who is 1-1 with a 3.24 ERA.
Wood did not get a decision on Tuesday in Pittsburgh, as he yielded three runs
and four hits in five innings of a 9-8 win.
Wood has faced the Pirates 15 times (14 starts) and is 5-7 against them with a
4.35 ERA.
Chicago won its third straight game on Monday, as Jason Hammel pitched eight
shutout innings and Kris Bryant hit a two-run single to lead the Cubs to a 4-0
victory.
Hammel (2-1) bounced back from a loss to Pittsburgh last week to give up just
four hits with no walks and seven strikeouts.
Bryant wasn’t the only rookie to contribute. Jorge Soler and Addison Russell
also chipped in to help Chicago end Pittsburgh’s five-game winning streak,
which began with consecutive victories over the Cubs last week.
Vance Worley (2-2) had one of the four hits off Hammel but took the loss,
giving up all four Cubs runs in six innings.
“They’re talented,” Worley said of the Cubs. “It’s just about making pitches
and keeping them off balance.”
The Pirates took two of three from the Cubs earlier this month.
