Cubs’ Justin Steele shoots to end winless streak against Giants

It would be difficult to find a major league pitcher more deserving of a win this season than Chicago Cubs left-hander Justin Steele.

Steele is set to make his 10th start of the year for the Cubs on Tuesday night against the visiting San Francisco Giants, and the 28-year-old is still looking for his first win.

Steele (0-3, 3.22 ERA) has been particularly bitten in his last four outings, allowing one run or no runs while pitching at least five innings each time. He went 0-1 in those games thanks to little support from his defense, as he allowed six unearned runs in his last three appearances and to the bullpen.

“As a pitcher, you can only control the controllable things,” Steele said. “I just try to put my team in a position to win every time I go out there.”

Steele has lowered his ERA from 5.68 to 3.22 over his last four starts.

He pitched six shutout innings in his last outing, Thursday against the host Tampa Bay Rays, and came away with a 2-0 lead. However, the bullpen gave up three runs in the seventh and the Cubs lost 3-2.

“Steele is really good,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “He creates a lot of deception. He really has us off balance.”

Steele also pitched seven shutout innings on May 27 against the Milwaukee Brewers and went scoreless before the Brewers won 5–1.

“All of this is going to help us in the long run,” Steele said. “It’s a long season. As time goes on, I feel like we’re really going to (improve) and come out better.”

Steele made three starts in his career against the Giants, going 1-2 with a 2.16 ERA.

The Cubs need a spark after closer Hector Neris gave up a three-run homer to Thairo Estrada in the ninth inning of the series opener Monday night, giving San Francisco the 7-6 victory.

It was Neris’ fourth missed save in his 14 save opportunities this year and his second squandered advantage in the last three games. Cubs manager Craig Counsell said he didn’t expect Neris to lose his closer role.

“We’re still going to look at the best way to get 27 outs every day, and we’re going to need Hector to be a part of that,” Counsell said.

The Giants, on the other hand, got a strong finishing effort from Camilo Doval on Monday after a tough non-stop outing against the Los Angeles Angels. On Sunday, he allowed four runs and four hits in a third of an inning before the Giants closed out the victory 13-6.

Doval needed just 11 pitches to put the Cubs back in order Monday after San Francisco’s first two relievers allowed three runs apiece.

Logan Webb is expected to start on the mound for San Francisco on Tuesday.

Webb (6-5, 3.02 ERA) has won each of his last two outings, beating the Texas Rangers 5-2 on June 7 and the Astros 5-3 on Wednesday. Against Houston, he allowed three runs on seven hits over six innings with five strikeouts and no walks.

“I just keep doing better and better, which is motivation for me,” Webb said after his latest outing. “(Against the Astros), I felt really good at the beginning. Towards the end, I had to fight some of the pitches I was throwing, the places I was throwing them. I have to go back and watch the video and I hope to continue building on it.”

Webb made three starts in his career against the Cubs, going 2-1 with a 4.58 ERA.

–Field level media