After the Arizona Diamondbacks and Chicago Cubs needed extra innings to settle the first two games of their series, both bullpens could use a break in the rubber match on Wednesday afternoon in Phoenix.
The Cubs used seven pitchers and the Diamondbacks six in Arizona’s back-and-forth, 12-11 victory in 10 innings on Tuesday night.
Chicago won the series opener 3-2 in 11 innings on Monday.
The Cubs plan to send left-hander Jordan Wicks (0-2, 5.68 ERA) to the mound for the series finale. Wicks has yet to get through five innings in each of his first three starts this season.
Wicks most recently surrendered four runs and five hits in four innings of a 4-2 loss at the Seattle Mariners on Friday. He struck out six and walked four.
“The walks are the ones that really drive me nuts,” Wicks said. “I feel like we’ve got way too good of a defense for me to just let people on via walk. I feel like I’ve got to allow our team to work behind me as well.”
Wicks was happy with the effectiveness of his changeup against the Mariners.
“It’s definitely a positive I’ll take, but there’s a lot of things still to work on,” he said.
Wicks faced the Diamondbacks last September during his rookie season, allowing three runs and four hits in 4 1/3 innings of his team’s 6-2 loss. He struck out five but again struggled with his control and walked four.
“He’s got a lot of talent,” Cubs catcher Yan Gomes said. “He’s definitely got a pretty good arsenal, and he can just attack the zone even more. Sometimes, when the strikeouts aren’t coming as easy, you can just go get an early out.”
The Diamondbacks on Wednesday are expected to right-hander Brandon Pfaadt (1-0, 6.48 ERA), who won his season opener on March 31 before struggling in his past two outings, allowing 11 earned runs in 11 2/3 innings.
He was stung for six runs and seven hits over six innings in a 9-6 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals last Friday.
“I think, early on, just wasn’t locating,” Pfaadt said. “I missed on the other side of the plate, and I take responsibility for that. That shouldn’t happen.”
Arizona manager Torey Lovullo was impressed with how Pfaadt battled the Cardinals despite not having his best command. Lovullo will need him to chew up some innings on Wednesday, just as he did by getting through six against St. Louis.
“I was really proud of the way Brandon fought the whole game,” Lovullo said. “It wasn’t easy, and he pitched into the sixth inning and got through it, and that was a pretty good feat on his part.”
Pfaadt faced the Cubs in back-to-back starts during his rookie season last September and went 1-0 in those games with a 3.18 ERA.
The Cubs placed outfielder Seiya Suzuki on the 10-day injured list with a right oblique strain on Monday, but Chicago manager Craig Counsell said it will be more “in the four-week range.”
Alexander Canario was recalled from Triple-A Iowa, and he delivered an RBI double in the loss on Tuesday.
–Field Level Media