Cubs @ Padres

Who will WIN this matchup?

Chicago Cubs (76-66)

@ San Diego Padres (66-76)

Starting Pitchers:

Hendricks (CHC): 9-9; 3.39 ERA

Quantrill (SD) 8-6; 4.57 ERA

Last 10 Games Played:

Chicago Cubs: 5-5

San Diego Padres: 5-5

Current odds:

Chicago Cubs: (-145)

San Diego Padres: (+135)

• The Chicago Cubs have given plenty of hope to their pursuers for the National League’s second wild card with three straight losses and look to turn things around when they visit the San Diego Padres on Monday night to open a four-game series. The Cubs suffered an 8-5 loss on Sunday at Milwaukee and lead Arizona by 1 1/2 games, with a pair of teams two back and the New York Mets within four with 20 contests left. Nicholas Castellanos extended his hitting streak to six games (9-for-26) in Sunday’s setback and is batting .338 with 13 homers and 25 RBIs since being acquired at the trade deadline by Chicago, which took two of three from San Diego at Wrigley Field in July. The Cubs will hand the ball to hard-luck right-hander Kyle Hendricks in the series opener and San Diego counters with rookie Cal Quantrill, who earned the lone victory for the Padres in Chicago.

• San Diego took the final two of a three-game series over Colorado, capped by a 2-1 victory in 10 innings on Sunday as Wil Myers singled home Manny Machado with the winning run. Myers is riding an eight-game hitting streak for the Padres, in which he is 13-for-24 with three homers, a double and seven RBIs, while raising his season batting average to .242.

• The Cubs have won five of Hendricks’ last seven starts, but he has been credited with just two victories in that stretch despite allowing two runs or fewer five times. The 29-year-old Dartmouth product gave up one run on three hits with seven strikeouts over six innings in a no-decision against Seattle on Monday. Hunter Renfroe is 3-for-7 with two doubles and a homer versus Hendricks, who yielded two runs over seven frames of a loss to San Diego on July 21.

• Quantrill has lost in his last three trips to the mound and was pounded in the past two, permitting 16 runs on 18 hits combined over 9 1/3 innings. The 24-year-old Stanford product was 4-1 with a 1.31 ERA during a six-game stretch, striking out 25 and walking just five across 34 1/3 innings before his three-game losing streak. Quantrill gave up two hits across 5 2/3 scoreless innings with six strikeouts to beat the Cubs on July 21 and is 4-2 with a 4.17 ERA at home in 2019.

• Chicago SS Addison Russell sustained a nasal bruise after being hit by a pitch on the face Sunday and is reportedly being evaluated for a concussion.

• San Diego OF Nick Martini has hit safely in seven straight games and is 10-for-30 since being claimed on waivers from Oakland.

• Cubs 2B-OF Ben Zobrist is 6-for-16 with three walks and five runs scored in five games since returning to the team after a leave of absence.