| Hitter | AVG | AB | HR | RBI |
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Gee had been improving in increments before taking a sizable step backward Tuesday in St. Louis, giving up six runs (five earned) on nine hits in four innings. He was 1-1 with a 3.46 ERA in two starts last year against the Cubs.
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Wood posted his Major League-best eighth straight quality start in his last outing against the Rockies. He's the second Cubs lefty ever to open a season with eight quality starts, joining Hippo Vaughn (1919). He's also been pretty good at the plate.
| Hitter | AVG | AB | HR | RBI |
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Garza makes his first start of the season -- and first in exactly 10 months -- Tuesday against the Pirates. The right-hander missed the second half of 2012 with right shoulder issues before opening this season on the DL with a left lat strain.
| Hitter | AVG | AB | HR | RBI |
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The Pirates' biggest winner since his '12 midseason acquisition from Houston tries to become their first five-game winner. Rodriguez, coming off three straight quality starts, has a 1.35 ERA in four starts at PNC Park.
| Hitter | AVG | AB | HR | RBI |
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Samardzija returns to PNC Park, where he won on Opening Day. In that game, he whiffed nine and held the Bucs to two hits in eight shutout innings. He didn't get another win, though, until his last start vs. the Rockies. His splitter is his key pitch.
| Hitter | AVG | AB | HR | RBI |
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Liriano turned in carbon-copy starts in his first two outings for the Bucs, striking out a total of 16 in 11 innings. The former American Leaguer lost his only Interleague meeting with the Cubs, allowing four runs in 5 2/3 innings last June.
| Hitter | AVG | AB | HR | RBI |
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Jackson is coming off his best outing as a Cub, allowing three runs in 6 2/3 innings against the Mets, but took the loss against Matt Harvey. Jackson last faced the Reds on May 5 in Chicago, giving up four runs in five innings while taking the loss.
| Hitter | AVG | AB | HR | RBI |
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Gomez continues to give the Bucs four solid innings every start, before he begins to wear down around the 60-pitch mark. That is owed to the fact he prepped for relief duty in Spring Training and is still building up arm strength.
