Fresh off a sweep of the Pirates, the Cubs welcome the last place Royals to Wrigley for the first game of a home-and-home set. KC has lost three in a row and sits at 3-7 overall, largely due to their starters posting an ERA of 5.86 and just 29 strikeouts in 35.1 innings. That bodes well for the Cubs, who’ve hit 15 home runs and have done a good job taking advantage of mistakes.
Kris Bryant returns to the lineup to lead off and play left field after sitting for two games with gastrointestinal issues that prompted eventual negative COVID tests.