Fresh off recording their second seven-run inning in as many games, the Chicago Cubs will vie to win their third series in a row on Saturday afternoon when they host the Toronto Blue Jays.
Carson Kelly belted his second career grand slam to highlight a seven-run first inning as Chicago set a season high in runs during its 16-2 romp over Toronto on Friday afternoon. Kelly also recorded a career-high six RBIs after working a bases-loaded walk in the sixth inning and an RBI infield single in the seventh.
“All in all, I just have to be aggressive in those moments. Great win for the boys,” Kelly told Marquee Sports Network.
The Cubs banged out 18 hits on Friday, two days after scoring seven runs in the second inning of their 8-6 victory over the Colorado Rockies.
Chicago has seven-run innings in consecutive games for the first time since July 5-6, 2001, per MLB.com.
A winner in six of its past eight games overall, Chicago has turned the tide after a dreadful stretch in which it went 0-9-1 in series. And the Cubs have plenty of offensive stars to thank for their recent success.
Pete Crow-Armstrong had an RBI single among his three hits in the series opener and reached base in all five of his plate appearances. He has hit safely in nine consecutive games and 21 of his last 22.
“You’re not going to come out here and just steamroll people all the time. And we’re bound to be called streaky when we’ve kinda played the way we played so far,” Crow-Armstrong told Marquee Sports Network.
“If we just go on a tear right here, that’s great. and that’s gonna set us up real nice going into the break. If anything, just adding to our identity, which we get to see in games like this, which is a ton of aggressiveness and very instinctual baseball. That’s us.”
Toronto left-hander Patrick Corbin (2-3, 4.57 ERA) will start on Saturday opposite Chicago right-hander Colin Rea (5-5, 5.35).
Corbin saw his winless stretch extend to four outings after allowing two runs on seven hits in 3 2/3 innings against the New York Yankees in his team’s 8-3 loss on Sunday.
The 36-year-old is 5-2 with a 4.60 ERA in 14 career appearances (13 starts) against the Cubs.
Rea will look to rebound from a pair of subpar outings, as he yielded 11 runs on 15 hits — including three homers — and six walks in 9 1/3 innings in a pair of lopsided losses to the San Francisco Giants and Rockies.
The 35-year-old is 1-1 with a 2.77 ERA in two career appearances (both starts) vs. the Blue Jays.
Toronto slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. grabbed at his lower back following a pop-out in the sixth inning on Friday. The five-time All-Star missed two games earlier this month due to a back injury, but manager John Schneider told reporters this issue isn’t as bad.
“Nothing like what it was when he missed a couple games,” Schneider said. “Unless anything changes, I think he should be good to go (on Saturday), so that’s a positive.”
–Field Level Media
