If statistics mean anything, the Cubs could have the advantage against both pitchers they are scheduled face in the two-game series with the Pirates beginning Tuesday night in Pittsburgh.
Bob Walk, the scheduled starter Tuesday, is 0-1 with a 4.76 earned-run average this season and had a 5.09 ERA against the Cubs last year. In his first start last week, he gave up eight hits and three earned runs in 5 2/3 innings.
He will be facing Cub left-hander Danny Jackson, who also had a rough first outing against the Phillies last week, but is 2-0 lifetime against the Pirates.
On Wednesday, the Pirates are scheduled to start Randy Tomlin, who is 1-0 with a 2.70 ERA this season. But Tomlin was 0-1 with a 5.17 ERA against the Cubs last season.
Since breaking into the majors late in the 1990 season, Tomlin has had trouble handling Ryne Sandberg and Andre Dawson.
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Lifetime, Dawson is 6 for 11 (.545) with two home runs against Tomlin. Sandberg is even better: 6 for 9 (.667) with a home run.
Scheduled to pitch against Tomlin Wednesday night is Mike Morgan, who was 2-2 with a 2.57 ERA when he faced Pittsburgh last season.
– Two to go: Manager Jim Lefebvre says, idealistically, he would like to get three wins every time he goes through his five-man rotation. What manager wouldn`t? The first time through, Lefebvre got two wins-from Greg Maddux and Shawn Boskie. The second time around got off to a good start with a win by Maddux against St. Louis on Sunday.
– Still counting: With that victory against the Cardinals, Maddux widened his lead on Doug Drabek of the Pirates, the second-winningest pitcher in the National League the last four seasons. Drabek lost to Philadelphia on Saturday to fall to 1-1. He has 67 wins in the NL since 1988. Maddux now has 69.
– Relaxed Ryno: Sandberg says he isn`t worried about living up to people`s expectations because of his new contract. ”I`m just trying to do what I can to help us win games,” says Sandberg, who leads the Cubs with six runs batted in-four more than he had in all of April last year. ”I`ve totally forgotten about the contract. All the pressure was released when the contract was signed.”
– On the farm: Right-hander Jim Bullinger, the shortstop-turned-pitcher who had an impressive spring with the Cubs, is looking strong at Triple-A Iowa. He moved from the starting rotation to the bullpen and saved the first two games of the year.