Chicago Cubs look to bounce back with Kyle Hendricks making first start

After dropping their first game of the season, the Chicago Cubs will look to get back on track as Kyle Hendricks takes the ball for the first time.

The Chicago Cubs know that things won’t always go as well as they did in the first three games. Even Cubs’ skipper Joe Maddon admitted that “you can’t be an oil painting every night. With no regrets on the decision to pitch to the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Paul Goldschmidt and only in the pitch selection–the team will turn to Kyle Hendricks who had one of the best spring’s of any pitcher.

The Cubs (3-1) hope their “Spring Training” ace Hendricks can continue to build off the adjustments he made last season and in the playoffs. He’s worked on his changeup and now will throw it in two different ways depending on the hitter. Besides Goldschmidt who is always a danger, he’ll need to beware of David Peralta (.400, 8-for-20) and Jean Segura (.500, 11-for-22) who are both off to hot starts as well.

The D-backs (2-3) will send their actual ace Zack Greinke (0-1, 15.75), who was roughed up by the Rockies in his Arizona debut. After signing a six-year, $206 million deal the Diamondbacks will need outings like his first to be an anomaly and not the norm.

Greinke will look to get off to a strong start while the Cubs count on their “new” leadoff man Dexter Fowler to stay hot (.600, 9-for-15) and help set the table for the offense. With Kyle Schwarber out, Maddon will tinker with the starter in left field but so far it looks like Jorge Soler will get another chance tonight.

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After scoring 29 runs in the first three games, the Cubs likely felt like they were shutout in only scoring two. Let’s hope that one loss is all that will justify a “losing streak” this year as the Cubs look to get back to their winning ways and keep pace with the Pirates who lost today to the Reds.

Here are the lineups for tonight’s game:

First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. CT in Arizona. CSN will have the television coverage while 670 The Score will carry the radio broadcast. Be sure to return for postgame coverage following the final of tonight’s game.