CHICAGO CUBS

at SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS

First pitch: Sunday, 8:00 p.m. ET
Line: N/A

Kyle Hendricks and the Cubs take on Madison Bumgarner and the Giants in the series finale at AT&T Park on Sunday night.

The first-place Cubs are the best team in baseball right now, but as talented as they are, they’ll have their work cut out for them when they face Giants ace Madison Bumgarner (5-2, 2.45 ERA, 71 SO, 18 BB, 6 HR in 58 2/3 IP) on Sunday night in San Francisco. The 26-year-old is coming off a complete-game win over the Padres in which he allowed just one run on five hits and struck out 11 without walking a batter. The left-hander has won four of his last five decisions, and the Giants have won all five of those games. In nine starts this season, Bumgarner has allowed two earned runs or less seven times. He hasn’t allowed more than four runs in a start all season. He’ll be opposed by Cubs RHP Kyle Hendricks (2-3, 3.51 ERA, 37 SO, 9 BB, 2 HR in 41 IP) in the finale. Hendricks struggled in his last start, allowing four earned runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings pitched against the Brewers. He’s been very solid for the most part, however, having only allowed four earned runs in two of his seven starts. Neither Bumgarner nor Hendricks have faced these teams in 2016.

The Cubs have had trouble hitting Bumgarner—just as the rest of the league has since he made his major league debut in 2009. CF Dexter Fowler has gone 8-for-31 with a triple and an RBI against him, RF Jason Heyward has gone 3-for-15 with a homer and five RBIs, C Miguel Montero has gone 6-for-32 with a double, two RBIs and eight strikeouts, and 1B Anthony Rizzo has gone 3-for-13 with six strikeouts. The only Cub with really good numbers against the former World Series MVP? 2B Ben Zobrist, who is 5-for-6 lifetime against him with a double, a triple, an RBI and a walk. Bumgarner beat the Cubs in his lone start against them last year, on August 27. He allowed one earned run on two hits in six impressive frames, striking out 12 and walking two. Righties are hitting .240 against Bumgarner, while lefties are hitting just .171. In five home starts this season, Bumgarner is 2-1 with a 2.14 ERA in 33 2/3 innings pitched.

No one on the Giants’ roster has more than six career at-bats against Hendricks. 1B Brandon Belt has seen the ball well against him, going 3-for-5 with a homer, a triple and two RBIs. RF Hunter Pence is 2-for-2 lifetime with a walk against the 26-year-old, and C Buster Posey and CF Denard Span each have a pair of hits off him in six at-bats. Hendricks faced the Giants twice last season. In his first start against them, on August 8 at Wrigley Field, he earned the win after allowing three earned runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings. The Dartmouth alum faced San Francisco later that month at AT&T Park and didn’t have as much success. He gave up four earned runs on five hits and three walks in six innings and took the loss. Lefties are hitting .234 against Hendricks; righties are hitting .221. In three road starts this season, Hendricks is 1-2 with a 5.19 ERA in 17 1/3 innings pitched.