Chicago Cubs: Crosstown Cup series shifts to the South Side

CHICAGO, IL - JULY 25: Carl Edwards Jr. #6 of the Chicago Cubs reacts after striking out Jose Abreu #79 of the Chicago White Sox to end the sixth inning on July 25, 2017 at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by David Banks/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL - JULY 25: Carl Edwards Jr. #6 of the Chicago Cubs reacts after striking out Jose Abreu #79 of the Chicago White Sox to end the sixth inning on July 25, 2017 at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by David Banks/Getty Images)

The Crosstown Cup series shifts to Guaranteed Rate Field Wednesday after the Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox split two games at Wrigley Field.

After Willson Contreras led the Chicago Cubs to a series split in the brief two-game set at Wrigley Field to start the week, the team will make a drive to the South Side Wednesday night.

The Cubs (52-47) look to move to a season-high six games over .500 with a win behind right-hander and 2015 NL Cy Young Award winner Jake Arrieta. His last time out, Arrieta owns a 2.13 ERA in July starts and turned in quality outings three of his last four starts, according to MLB.com.

Chicago hopes to build some momentum in the next two days, heading into a critical showdown with the first-place Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park this weekend. In the opener Wednesday, James Shields starts for the White Sox.

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Shields has been downright awful after a dominant April. There’s really no other way to put it. The Cubs need another strong offensive performance after hanging a seven-spot on the White Sox Tuesday afternoon.

They’ll have to do it without Contreras, though. The fiery catcher gets a well-deserved night off in the opener at Guaranteed Rate Field. Victor Caratini will start behind the dish for the Cubs, catching Arrieta.

Earlier in the season, Miguel Montero served as Arrieta’s personal catcher. Now, it’s a mix-and-match setup with the right-hander between Contreras and Caratini.

Keep an eye on Anthony Rizzo on Wednesday. He boasts a .375 career average against Shields in eight at-bats. For the White Sox, Jose Abreu owns an identical clip against the Cubs’ starter Arrieta.

Starting lineups

What’s Next

The Cubs and White Sox conclude the Crosstown Cup series Thursday night on the South Side.

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Veteran Jon Lester (7-6, 3.95) starts for the North Siders. Mike Pelfrey (3-7, 4.46) takes the ball for the White Sox in the finale. First pitch is at 7:10 p.m. CT.

Schedule