Pitching Matchup:
Chris Heston (11-5, 3.24 ERA) vs. Jason Hammel (6-5, 3.13 ERA)
Chris Heston: Through 21 Major League starts, Heston has already become a fan favourite in the Bay Area, with a no hitter and 11 wins in his rookie season. Heston has yet to face the Cubs in his young career and his road ERA is nearly 1.5 points higher. He is undefeated in three starts since the All-Star break (going 2-0 with an ERA of 2.37), but faced three teams each well out of the playoff chase.
Jason Hammel: He may have only 6 wins in 20 starts this season, but Hammel has been a key member of the Cubs revitalized pitching staff in 2015. Hammel’s strongest statistics are his WHIP of 1.04 and 8.8 strikeouts per 9 innings. Hammel has pitched against the Giants 10 times (9 starts), but has zero victories to show for it. His ERA against the Giants is 3.07 (the third lowest of any team Hammel has faced). Hammel is due to finally get a win against the defending World Series champs on Thursday night.
The Right move to Return to the World Series?
The Giants made one notable move the trade deadline, acquiring Mike Leake from the Reds. Leake's acquisition helps the Giants add depth to a rotation that has struggled due to age and injury in 2015. The move isn’t earth shattering enough to suggest the Giants can overtake the Dodgers for the NL West crown, but getting a Wild Card game (and letting Madison Bumgarner do his thing) is probably the goal for the Giants at this moment in time.
Success so Far for Joe Maddon
After a wild off-season that brought Joe Maddon (and some talented players) to Chicago, the Wrigley Field faithful were buzzing and so far the Cubs are living up to expectations. Playing in the best division in baseball, the Cubs are sitting 10 games above .500, on pace for their first winning season since 2009. Twenty-fifteen may not be the year the Cubs break their infamous World Series drought, but team has shown signs of life and will continue to improve under Maddon’s management.
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