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The clubs will be meeting for the first time this season, with
the Cubs having flown into San Francisco on Wednesday's off-day
with a six-game winning streak, while the Giants were suffering
their seventh straight loss, 5-3 in Arizona.
Left-handers Justin Steele (4-6, 4.02 ERA) of the Cubs and Alex
Wood (6-8, 4.21) of the Giants are the scheduled starters in a
matchup of teams who have met twice in the playoffs in the last
33 years, including a 4-1 Giants win in 1989 that featured Will
Clark's heroics that sent the club to the infamous Earthquake
World Series against the Oakland Athletics.
Clark will have his No. 22 retired by the Giants on Saturday.
The Giants could have used Clark's productive hitting during
their seven-game slide, where they have scored just 19 runs.
They were outscored 19-6 in three losses to the Diamondbacks
earlier this week.
San Francisco manager Gabe Kapler addressed what needs to happen
differently entering an eight-game homestand.
"I think we need to come out and just come out with a ton of
fire," he said. "Guys are pressing a little bit. They're wanting
to do too much and sometimes that just creates a little
tightness in the play, and I think that's what's happening right
now."
Wood has been a victim of poor run support this month. He has
just one win to show for his last four starts despite allowing
just three earned runs in 20 2/3 innings.
He took the loss in his most recent outing last Saturday in Los
Angeles against the Dodgers after allowing two runs in four
innings in a 4-2 defeat.
The 31-year-old has gone 3-2 with a 3.82 ERA in 10 career games,
including seven starts, against the Cubs. He hasn't faced
Chicago since 2019 as a member of the Cincinnati Reds.
The Cubs' hot streak has been pitcher-driven. They've allowed no
more than three runs in each of their six wins, surrendering a
total of 13 during the streak. That's two fewer than what they
scored in a 15-2 road win over the Philadelphia Phillies last
Friday.
Steele was lucky enough to have been scheduled to pitch that
day. He threw the ball well, limiting the Phillies to one run in
five innings.
The 27-year-old has been charged with just one loss in his last
nine starts, going 3-1 with a 3.10 ERA.
Steele has faced the Giants just once previously, taking the
loss after allowing four earned runs in five innings in a 6-5
home defeat last September.
The Cubs held a game-long ceremony of sorts for catcher Willson
Contreras and outfielder Ian Happ during Tuesday's 4-2 home win
over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Both are rumored to be likely trade
exports before the rebuilding club returns home.
"Getting traded to a team that is competing is good," Contreras
said. "If the Cubs get a good package for me to make this team
better, they're going to do it. And I'll be more than happy to
help a different team to make it to the World Series. If (a
trade) doesn't happen, I'll be more than happy to stay here with
my teammates and try to find a way to make everyone better."
--Field Level Media
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