Lopez expected to start as Marlins host Cubs
Chicago Cubs (6-9, fourth in the NL Central) vs. Miami Marlins (4-13, fifth in the NL East)
Miami; Tuesday, 7 p.m. EDT
PITCHING PROBABLES: Cubs: Jose Quintana (1-1, 5.14 ERA, 2.86 WHIP, 11 strikeouts) Marlins: Pablo Lopez (1-2, 6.60 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 17 strikeouts)
LINE: Cubs favored by 1 1/2 runs; over/under is 8 runs
BOTTOM LINE:
The Marlins are 3-8 in home games. Miami has slugged .346 this season. Martin Prado leads the team with a .577 slugging percentage.
The Cubs are 3-7 on the road. Chicago ranks fourth in the majors in hitting with a .273 batting average, Jason Heyward leads the club with an average of .366. The Cubs won the last meeting 7-2. Yu Darvish earned his first victory and Willson Contreras went 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBIs for Chicago. Trevor Richards registered his second loss for Miami.
TOP PERFORMERS: Starlin Castro leads the Marlins with 15 hits and is batting .221. Jorge Alfaro is 11-for-32 with two home runs and five RBIs over the last 10 games for Miami.
Contreras leads the Cubs with six home runs and has 12 RBIs. Heyward is 13-for-33 with a double, four home runs and eight RBIs over the last 10 games for Chicago.
LAST 10 GAMES: Marlins: 2-8, .197 batting average, 5.30 ERA, outscored by 31 runs
Cubs: 4-6, .251 batting average, 5.44 ERA, outscored opponents by nine runs
Marlins Injuries: Riley Ferrell: 10-day IL (bicep), Julian Fernandez: 60-day IL (elbow), Garrett Cooper: 10-day IL (calf).
Cubs Injuries: Brandon Morrow: 10-day IL (elbow), Mike Montgomery: 10-day IL (shoulder), Jon Lester: 10-day IL (hamstring), Kendall Graveman: 60-day IL (elbow), Xavier Cedeno: 10-day IL (wrist), Tony Barnette: 10-day IL (shoulder), Victor Caratini: 10-day IL (hand).
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