CHICAGO — If the Arizona Diamondbacks are going to remain in contention for a National League West Division title, finding a way to shut down opposing lineups the rest of the way will play a key role.
The Diamondbacks have stymied the Chicago Cubs on back-to-back nights as Arizona pitching has limited the Cubs to just two runs en route to capturing the first two games of the four-game series at Wrigley Field.
Arizona hopes to do it again and extend its winning streak to four games when it continues the series with the Cubs on Wednesday.
After Tuesday’s 5-1 victory in which the Cubs finished with just six hits — the most damaging was Jason Heyward’s solo home run — the Diamondbacks will start Robbie Ray on Wednesday.
Ray (3-2, 5.37 ERA) will be looking for his first victory since June 27 and hopes to be better than he was in his last outing. Ray allowed five runs and eight hits over 5 1/3 innings in a no-decision against the Colorado Rockies on Friday.
Ray was expected to be a major contributor for Arizona after he went 15-5 with a 2.89 ERA last season. But more times than not, Ray hasn’t been able to reach the levels he reached during what turned out to be a career season in 2017.
“I’ve kind of, at this point, accepted that what has happened (this season) has happened for a reason,” Ray said earlier this month, according to the Arizona Republic. “I’m where I’m at for a reason. I’ve probably been pressing a little more than I should be. I put a lot of pressure on myself because I feel like I’m a really good pitcher. The results haven’t really been there. It’s been frustrating for sure. But I’m getting back to a good place.”
Since returning from a strained right oblique injury, Rays is 1-2 with a 5.88 ERA in five starts.
Ray is 0-1 with a 3.27 ERA in two career starts against the Cubs.
Jon Lester will attempt to get the Cubs back on track following their second straight loss to the Diamondbacks and their fourth loss in their last six games overall.
Lester (12-3, 3.14) will also look to bounce back after he allowed eight runs and seven hits in just three innings in a lopsided 18-5 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals in his last outing on Friday.
Lester is 2-1 with a 4.86 ERA in six career starts against the Diamondbacks.
The Cubs are expected to be without third baseman Kris Bryant, who was kept out of the lineup on Tuesday with shoulder soreness. Bryant recently came off the disabled list with the shoulder injury, but manager Joe Maddon told reporters on Tuesday that Bryant was still a little off at the plate after returning to the lineup.
“He’s a little sore,” Maddon told reporters before Tuesday’s loss, according to the Chicago Tribune. “And I have to be proactive with that. I want to make sure that we’re not pushing it too hard right now.”
Bryant missed 16 games with the shoulder pain, which he attempted to play through for more than a month. Despite the discomfort Bryant has been feeling, Maddon hesitated before he addressed a question of whether Bryant might need offseason surgery.
“I don’t know that I’m hearing that he needs (surgery),” Maddon said. “Obviously rest would be the best thing for him now, but we’re not necessarily ready to do that. I will try to find out more specifically, but I don’t know (what) the actual postseason method would be if we’re even getting close to that (surgery).
“Right now, we’re trying to manage it and get him through the season. Hopefully, he participates, but I don’t know what the offseason would hold.”
