Preview: Padres at Cubs

[July 22, 2014]  Opposing scouts are likely to be in abundance when the Chicago Cubs host the San Diego Padres to open a three-game series between non-contenders. Both teams are well out of the National League playoff picture and looking to sell ahead of next week's non-waiver trading deadline. Among the hot commodities on display will be Padres third baseman Chase Headley, who has hit .339 over his last 13 games after a slow start.

The Cubs have lost five straight spanning the All-Star break following a three-game sweep at Arizona over the weekend. The Padres began the second half with a better effort, taking two of three from the visiting New York Mets - including a 2-1 win on Seth Smith's game-ending RBI single in Sunday's finale. The teams split four games in San Diego from May 22-25.

TV: 8:05 p.m. ET, FSN San Diego, CSN-Plus (Chicago)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Padres LH Eric Stults (3-11, 4.98 ERA) vs. Cubs RH Kyle Hendricks (0-0, 6.00)
 

Stults has been susceptible to the long ball, allowing 18 homers in 99 1/3 innings this season, so his luck might depend on the direction the wind blows in the Friendly Confines. The difficulty keeping the ball in the park led to an NL-high 11 losses in the first half, but Stults posted a 2.59 ERA over his last four starts before the break. The 34-year-old is 1-5 with a 5.15 ERA in seven starts against the Cubs - including an 0-3 mark in four outings at Wrigley Field.

Hendricks gets his second crack at seizing a spot in the depleted rotation after a respectable debut July 10 against the Reds in which he allowed four runs over six innings and struck out seven. Three of the four runs came in the first inning, but the 24-year-old settled in after that and gave the Cubs a solid outing. Hendricks and pitching coach Chris Bosio weren't pleased with tight strike zone that led to three walks in his big-league debut.

WALK-OFFS

1. Cubs 1B Anthony Rizzo was named the NL Player of the Week on Monday after hitting .455 with three homers, 14 RBIs and five runs scored in his team's first series following the All-Star break.

2. Padres 1B Yonder Alonso (right wrist tendinitis) joined Triple-A El Paso on Monday to continue his rehab assignment. He has been out since June 16.

3. The Cubs are 0-49 when trailing after eight innings, but San Diego has turned to Joaquin Benoit to finish games since dealing Huston Street to the Los Angeles Angels.

PREDICTION: Padres 6, Cubs 4

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