Cubs scouting report
By Bruce Miles
Cubs vs. Houston Astros at Wrigley Field
TV: Comcast SportsNet Friday and Sunday; WGN Saturday
Radio: WGN 720-AM
Pitching matchups: The Cubs’ Matt Garza (8-10) vs. Wandy Rodriguez (11-10) Friday at 1:20 p.m.; Rodrigo Lopez (5-6) vs. Henry Sosa (2-4) Saturday at 12:05 p.m.; Ryan Dempster (10-12) vs. Brett Myers (5-13) Sunday at 1:20 p.m.
At a glance: The Cubs may be bad, but the Astros are just plain awful. They’re 51-98, and 35½ games behind the first-place Brewers in the NL Central. The Cubs are 6-6 against the Astros this year, 3-3 at both ballparks. With the trades of Michael Bourn and Hunter Pence, the Astros don’t have much to offer offensively. Carlos Lee leads them in home runs, with 16. The Astros are last in ERA (4.45) while the Cubs are 15th (4.44). With a recent outbreak of walks, the Cubs have moved out of last as a team and into 15th, with 379 entering Thursday. The Astros are last, with 368 walks. The Cubs have beaten Rodriguez twice this year.
Next: Milwaukee Brewers at Wrigley Field, Monday-Wednesday