Chicago Cubs: Team goes for season-high 6th straight win

Mike Montgomery gets the start in a matinee Wednesday against the Braves and the Chicago Cubs look for their sixth straight win.

The Chicago Cubs have steamrolled out of the All-Star Break, and after taking the series Tuesday will look for the three-game sweep against the Atlanta Braves Wednesday afternoon.

Goin out in style?

Mike Montgomery is on the hill looking to extend the success for Cubs’ starting pitchers (4-0, 2.10 ERA). He’ll also look to shake off a recent tough outing against the Orioles last Friday when he couldn’t make it out of the fifth inning.

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It could also be his final start in the rotation as Kyle Hendricks looks to be making his way back which would move Montgomery back to the bullpen.

Opposing Montgomery will be the 42-year-old knuckler, R.A. Dickey (6-5, 4.08 ERA). Dickey comes in on a bit of a roll. Over his last five starts, he has only allowed a single earned run or less, going at least six innings each time.

This will only be his third career start against Chicago as he comes in 0-1, 7.27 ERA.

High-flying offense

Willson Contreras (.380 4 HR, 10 RBI his July) will sit and make way for former Braves farmhand Víctor Caratini. Kyle Schwarber returns to the lineup playing left field. He’s batting .231 since the call-up.

They’ll be without Jason Heyward (.314 BA in July) but he will be available off the bench. As a team, the Cubs are hitting .310 so far in the second half. Their 13 home runs and 36 RBI are second in MLB.

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What’s next

The Chicago Cubs are off Thursday and will begin a homestand starting with the St. Louis Cardinals Friday from Wrigley Field.

Jake Arrieta (9-7, 4.17 ERA) gets the ball for Chicago against Carlos Martinez (6-8, 3.36 ERA) for the Cardinals. First pitch from Wrigley Field is set for 1:20 p.m. CT.