MLB Game Preview - Oakland at Chicago
Mon Aug 5, 2019 8:05 PM EDT

MIA
2
NYM
6
F
MIL
9
PIT
7
F
NYY
9
BAL
6
F
LAA
4
CIN
7
F
CHW
7
DET
4
F
KC
5
BOS
7
F
TOR
2
TB
0
F
TEX
1
CLE
0
F
MIA
4
NYM
5
F
OAK
5
CHC
6
F
ATL
3
MIN
5
F
PHI
7
ARI
3
F
WSH
4
SF
0
F
STL
0
LAD
8
F
Cubs, A's riding high as they enter a three-game series
Sun Aug 4, 2019 11:43 PM

For the past five games, the Oakland Athletics were helping out the Chicago Cubs by accumulating wins over the St. Louis Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers to affect the tight National League Central race while also keeping pace in the American League wild-card race.

This time, fans of the Brewers and Cardinals will be interested to see if the Athletics can keep making a difference in the NL Central race.

In the thick of a wild-card race, Oakland starts a three-game series at Wrigley Field against the Cubs on Monday night.

Oakland is making its first visit to Wrigley since June 2010 after taking four of five from Milwaukee and St. Louis.

After winning two close games over the Brewers, the A's completed a two-game sweep of St. Louis with Sunday's 4-2 victory when newcomers Dustin Garneau hit a two-run double and Tanner Roark pitched five solid innings, highlighted by a strikeout of Marcell Ozuna after a 14-pitch at-bat resulted in a walk to Paul Goldschmidt.

"Just tried to be comfortable, not take big hacks and look for pitches that I want to hit," Garneau said in an on-field postgame interview with NBC Sports California.

The A's head to Chicago with three straight wins and are a half-game behind the Tampa Bay Rays for the second wild-card spot. Oakland is 14-7 since the All-Star Break and 28-12 dating back to June 17.

The Cubs are 1 1/2 games ahead of St. Louis and four in front of Milwaukee.

Chicago has won 11 of its last 13 home games since June 27 and 22 of its last 31 after completing a three-game sweep over Milwaukee with Sunday's 7-2 win. The Cubs improved to 39-18 overall at home when Jason Heyward and Kyle Schwarber homered in Sunday's win.

Anthony Rizzo went 4-for-5 Sunday and is hitting .347 (26-for-75) since the All-Star break. Rizzo's big game occurred as Kris Bryant sat out with knee soreness that is not considered serious.

"It's going to come down to the wire," Rizzo told reporters of the NL Central race. "We know that. It can be spit up, chewed out, thrown in a hundred different computers but it's going to come down to the wire. That's the way it's going to be this year and we're ready. We're ready to just keep playing."

Chicago's Kyle Hendricks (8-8, 3.07 ERA), who is 1-3 with a 2.25 ERA in his last six starts, takes a scoreless streak of 12 innings entering Monday. He last pitched Wednesday in St. Louis when he allowed seven hits in seven innings of a 2-0 win.

The Cubs have scored three runs or less in each of Hendricks' last seven starts and in 13 starts overall.

Hendricks' only previous start against the Athletics was Aug. 7, 2016, in Oakland when he allowed one run on three hits in 7 1/3 innings.

Chris Bassitt (7-5, 3.84), who is 2-1 with a 2.35 ERA in his last four starts, will open the series for Oakland. He took a no-decision in Oakland's 3-2 10-inning win over Milwaukee when he allowed three hits in three scoreless innings on Tuesday, marking his third scoreless start this season.

Bassitt is 0-3 with a 3.35 ERA in seven career interleague starts, and Monday marks his first career start against the Cubs.

--Field Level Media

Team Record Comparison

Team Standings GB W-L Aw/Hm Stk L10
Oakland            
Chicago            

Scheduled Starting Pitchers

Chris Bassitt - TOR
Matchup
Season
vs. Opp Has not pitched vs. Chicago
Kyle Hendricks - CHC
Matchup
Season
vs. Opp Has not pitched vs. Oakland

Hot Batters (Last 10 team games)

Injury Report

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