The Houston Astros (28-46) and Chicago Cubs (29-42) will embark on a three-game journey against one another today at 2:20 p.m. at famous Wrigley Field, in a battle of divisional doormats fighting for relevance. The game can be live streamed here, while fans of the Astros can listen to the game on KBME 790, and Cubs fans can do the same on WGN 720.
The Astros will trot Dallas Keuchel (4-3, 4.23 ERA) out to the Wrigley rubber to make his eighth start of the 2013 season. In the month of June, Keuchel has been surprisingly effective, flying under the radar because not many baseball fans have been paying attention to Houston.
In June he has pitched six innings or more in three June starts and given up no more than two runs in al of those outings. Keuchel's WHIP is higher than Astros manager Bo Porter would probably like, but the Astros will take any effective pitching they can get.
"All you can ask of your guys is consistency, and no doubt that Dallas has given us that more than anybody in the rotation, even when we've been pitching so good lately," Porter said. "He's figured out how to get guys out with all of his pitches."
Working in Keuchel's favor is Chicago's sub-league average runs per game mark of 3.93. The Cubs offense has been stagnant for much of the season, largely thanks to a disappointing 2013 campaign from shortstop Starlin Castro.
Castro is regressing in every category, with his batting average dipping all the way to .232 at this point in the year. He has three home runs, 24 RBI and only six stolen bases, while his OPS has plummeted to a ghastly .588 mark.
The Cubs will need to rely on Matt Garza (1-1, 4.98 ERA) to carry the slumping offense against the consistent Keuchel today.
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