Cubs look to shake off upstart Reds on .TV

Rockies & Twins cap Interleague matchup with twin bill; slugging O's & Tigers meet in Detroit

May 18th, 2017

With eight teams off and getaway days across the Majors, today's action features a lighter load, and fans can stream all 12 games live on MLB.TV, headlined by a National League Central showcase at Wrigley Field.
Coming off a start that left him admittedly frustrated, leads the Cubs against the Reds, who at the quarter mark of the season are right on the tails of the defending champs in the standings. Meanwhile, in Minnesota, the Rockies and Twins -- both in first place -- wrap up their Interleague series with a day-night doubleheader, and the Braves and Blue Jays finish their four game, home-and-home series in Atlanta.
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Here's what else to watch for throughout the day (all times in ET):
Interleague twin bill: COL@MIN, 1:10 p.m., 7:10 p.m.

Rain washed out Wednesday night's game and set up a day-night doubleheader on Thursday, with Colorado's and Minnesota's squaring off in the matinee. Santana will try to pull even with and as the only pitchers in the Majors this season with seven wins. The nightcap will pit against of the Twins.
Over his last six starts, Chatwood has let one big inning become a major factor in the outcome. That trend, featuring clusters of walks and big hits, has repeatedly turned potentially solid outings into losing ones. Rockies manager Bud Black has noted that such issues have arisen among the rest of the rotation -- though it's been far more glaring for Chatwood, by far the most experienced starter on the staff with 105 appearances and 96 starts.
"It looks like we're trying a little bit too hard to try to get stuff and velocity or make the perfect pitch," Black said. "What happens is you end up falling behind in the count, you end up walking guys. It's a bad formula."
Berrios will make his second start of 2017 and look to follow-up on a very strong start, in which he went a career-high 7 2/3 innings and allowed just one run and two hits against the Indians. In the Minors, Berrios has gone 3-0 with a 1.13 ERA.
Mashers meet in the Midwest: BAL@DET, 1:10 p.m.
In his first year as part of the Orioles' rotation, has thrown eight straight quality starts to begin the season, compiling a 2.26 ERA to go with a 5-1 record. The righty found rejuvenated success on his offspeed offerings, as batters are slugging .111 combined against his changeup and curve, according to Statcast™, which is second-lowest in the Majors (minimum 40 at-bats).

"I've always been impressed with him," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said earlier this month. "I think [it's] the respect he has for what you have to do to be consistently successful here. He knows how quickly it can go."
He'll face a Tigers offense that still remains a bit of a mystery. Entering Wednesday, they ranked first in barrels (89), second in exit velocity (88.7 mph, behind only Baltimore), fourth in batted balls harder than 95 mph (383) -- yet they're hovering at .500 in the middle of the AL Central. More >
Happy to be home: CIN@CHC, 2:20 p.m.
Lester has been throwing his changeup more -- 18.4 percent of the time on the season, a personal high since pitch tracking was implemented -- and done so effectively, generating a 20.3 percent whiff rate on the pitch. He's collected nine strikeouts on the change this year, after notching just 13 on it over the entire 2016 season. But the left-hander has almost exclusively thrown it to righties, and done so as an out pitch low and away.

is making his first start since May 6, after being sent to Triple-A to limit his innings. Last week, manager Bryan Price said the 25-year-old lefty has been the club's "most effective starter to this point." Remove a nine-run drubbing to the Brewers on April 24 and Garrett would be 3-1 with a 2.20 ERA.
Rogers: Garrett could be Reds' post-Cueto ace
Showdown in the South: TOR@ATL, 7:35 p.m.

had nine strikeouts in his last start against the Mariners on Saturday, generating 11 out-of-zone swinging strikes, which tied a Statcast™ era personal high for the right-hander. It marked his second outing since leaving a May 3 start with arm tightness, and he's gone six innings in each.
tossed six shutout innings against the Marlins on Sunday, scattering three hits and two walks with four strikeouts.
"That might be as crisp and as good as I've seen Julio, and he's pitched some really good games since I've been here," Braves manager Brian Snitker said.