Today at 4:05 p.m. ET, the Atlanta Braves (50-42) and Chicago Cubs (39-52) battle in the opening contest of a three-game set live from Wrigley Field in Chicago. The game can be live streamed here. Atlanta fans can hear all of the action on WCNN 680 while Chicago fans can do the same on WGN 720.
Atlanta closes out its first half by finishing a seven-game road trip after dropping three of the first four contests to the New York Mets while Chicago comes home for one final series before the All-Star break after going 4-6 on a 10-game road trip.
The Braves enter play tied with the Washington Nationals atop the National League East while the Cubs come into Friday in last place in the NL Central, 12 games behind the division-leading Milwaukee Brewers.
Alex Wood (6-7, 3.14 ERA) toes the rubber for Atlanta while Chicago counters with Jake Arrieta, who is 5-1 with a 1.78 ERA.
After the Cubs dealt two of their starting pitchers to the Oakland Athletics, Arrieta has stepped up as the de facto ace, a role which the 28-year-old relishes.
"I've been willing and able and ready to accept those responsibilities for a while," Arrieta told MLB.com. "The performance pushes me more in that direction than I expected."
Wood is coming off of a start where he threw seven innings of two-run ball but allowed a walk to the opposing pitcher and ended up giving up a two-run homer in the loss.
"I think that's probably the first time I've ever walked a pitcher, but it happens," Wood said per MLB.com. "I felt like I battled pretty well all day. Usually, they make you pay when you walk anybody, much less the pitcher. It's still really no excuse to let the one guy in their lineup that you knew and had a good plan for, beat you."
Wood will try to shut down a Chicago lineup that is flanked by All-Star first baseman Anthony Rizzo, who is batting .277 and is tied for second in the NL with 20 homers while adding 49 RBI. Also representing the Cubs at the All-Star game in Minnesota is shortstop Starlin Castro, who owns a team-best .280 batting average and 52 RBI.
Atlanta counters with an All-Star first baseman of its own as Freddie Freeman is hitting a team-high .299 with 13 homers and 50 RBI. Freeman is fourth in the NL with 27 doubles and fifth with 62 runs and 178 total bases. Braves outfielder Justin Upton is tied with Freeman for the team lead with 50 RBI and has launched a team-best 17 long balls.
The Braves and Cubs kick off their last series of the first half this afternoon when they take the diamond at Wrigley Field in Chicago.
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