Cubs play the Orioles in first of 3-game series

Baltimore Orioles (50-59, fifth in the AL East) vs. Chicago Cubs (63-45, second in the NL Central)

Chicago; Friday, 1:20 p.m. CDT

PITCHING PROBABLES: Orioles: Trevor Rogers (4-1, 1.49 ERA, 0.79 WHIP, 40 strikeouts); Cubs: Cade Horton (4-3, 3.67 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 50 strikeouts)

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Cubs -148, Orioles +123; over/under is 7 1/2 runs

BOTTOM LINE: The Chicago Cubs host the Baltimore Orioles on Friday to open a three-game series.

Chicago has a 63-45 record overall and a 33-19 record at home. Cubs pitchers have a collective 3.96 ERA, which ranks eighth in the NL.

Baltimore has a 50-59 record overall and a 23-32 record on the road. The Orioles rank seventh in the AL with 136 total home runs, averaging 1.2 per game.

Friday’s game is the first time these teams square off this season.

TOP PERFORMERS: Pete Crow-Armstrong leads the Cubs with 27 home runs while slugging .559. Matt Shaw is 11 for 34 with three home runs and nine RBIs over the past 10 games.

Adley Rutschman has 12 doubles, a triple, eight home runs and 25 RBIs for the Orioles. Tyler O’Neill is 11 for 32 with three doubles and four home runs over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Cubs: 4-6, .250 batting average, 5.90 ERA, outscored by 15 runs

Orioles: 6-4, .306 batting average, 3.89 ERA, outscored opponents by 37 runs

INJURIES: Cubs: Miguel Amaya: 60-Day IL (oblique), Ian Happ: day-to-day (leg), Jameson Taillon: 15-Day IL (calf), Eli Morgan: 60-Day IL (elbow), Javier Assad: 60-Day IL (oblique), Justin Steele: 60-Day IL (elbow)

Orioles: Zach Eflin: 15-Day IL (back), Colin Selby: 15-Day IL (hamstring), Felix Bautista: 15-Day IL (shoulder), Maverick Handley: 10-Day IL (head), Scott Blewett: 15-Day IL (elbow), Jorge Mateo: 60-Day IL (elbow), Gary Sanchez: 10-Day IL (knee), Ryan Mountcastle: 60-Day IL (hamstring), Cade Povich: 15-Day IL (hip), Cody Poteet: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Grayson Rodriguez: 60-Day IL (elbow), Albert Suarez: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Tyler Wells: 60-Day IL (elbow), Kyle Bradish: 60-Day IL (elbow)

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.