With all the talk of the Chicago Cubs(38-15) high-scoring offense, what gets lost in the shuffle is that high run-differential can be attributed to the pitching just as much as the offense. With all five starters carrying a sub-3.00 ERA, they have been the biggest surprise of the 2016 season so far. Jason Hammel is ready to return to the mound to face the D-backs (24-33) in the second of their three-game set.
Hammel (6-1, 2.09) left early in his last start after experiencing some cramping in his hamstring. There was some concern since it was very similar to last years issue he had, but he looks like he’s ready to go without missing any time.