After ending Wrigley hex, Rockies eager to take series vs. Cubs

Having broken their 10-game Wrigley Field skid on Tuesday, the Colorado Rockies now will aim to win their first series in nearly four years at the historic park as they wrap up a three-game set against the host Chicago Cubs on Wednesday night.

The friendly confines have been anything but for the Rockies in recent years. Since 2018, the Cubs have won 16 of the teams' 23 meetings in the Windy City. Before Tuesday's 5-2 victory, Colorado's most recent win there came on Sept. 18, 2022.

Rookie first baseman TJ Rumfield provided the big blast on Tuesday as his two-run home run in the fourth inning put the Rockies up 3-2. After starting June going 2-for-19 (.105) with an RBI in his first six games, he has hit safely in six of his last eight games, going 10-for-31 (.323) with three homers, seven RBIs and just three strikeouts.

Five of those recent games have been against the Cubs.

"It's just been extremely impressive what he's done," Colorado manager Warren Schaeffer said. "His numbers speak for themselves, and the way he conducts his at-bats speak for himself."

The Rockies tacked on a couple of more runs in the fifth on Tuesday, but it did not matter as the bullpen -- which has a major-league-worst 5.57 ERA and 740 hits allowed (80 more than the second-to-last Athletics) -- held the Cubs to a hit and a walk over the last 4 1/3 innings to secure the win.

The relief corps may be called on again Wednesday as Sean Sullivan (0-0, 0.00 ERA) makes his second big-league start. Last Friday, the left-hander lasted just three innings in his debut in his team's 6-4 loss to the Athletics in Las Vegas. The 23-year-old only allowed two hits and struck out two but departed early because of an illness that affected him all day.

While the Rockies will look to claim the three-game series and the six-game season series, the Cubs will try to find ways to drive runners home. Chicago was 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position Tuesday.

In their last five games, the Cubs are just 3-for-39 (.077) with runners in scoring position.

"We've got to take advantage of the opportunities," Chicago manager Craig Counsell said. "We've got to score. Got to get hits in those spots. We've got to do something better offensively."

The Cubs' Pete Crow-Armstrong continues to hit well in June. He hit his third leadoff home run in his last four games in Tuesday's loss. The center fielder has hit safely in 13 of his 14 games this month, batting .417 with seven home runs and 10 RBIs.

Javier Assad (4-1, 3.99 ERA) will make his 11th appearance and fifth start of the season for the Cubs. On Friday, the right-hander threw six shutout innings as he struck out five against three hits and a walk to get the victory in a 5-1 win in San Francisco.

Assad has pitched against the Rockies six times, including five as a starter. He holds a 3-1 record with a 4.94 ERA in those games and last faced the Rockies on Aug. 30, 2025, in Denver. In six innings, he allowed seven hits, two walks and three runs, getting the win as the Cubs posted a 4-3 victory.

--Field Level Media