The All-Star break provided a welcome respite for Chicago Cubs rookie third baseman Matt Shaw, who is eager to leave his first-half struggles behind.
Shaw looks to maintain his recent surge when the Cubs face the visiting Kansas City Royals on Wednesday afternoon in the rubber match of a three-game series.
The Cubs are tied with the Milwaukee Brewers atop the National League Central, while the Royals are 4 1/2 games back of the final wild-card spot in the American League.
Kansas City recorded a season-high run total in Monday’s 12-4 win before being shut out for the 11th time on Tuesday.
The Royals were stymied by Cubs starter Matthew Boyd, who pitched seven scoreless innings in the Cubs’ 6-0 victory.
Chicago center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong returned after missing one game with a bruised right knee and went 1-for-4 with an RBI.
Shaw contributed two hits and an RBI and has hit safely in all five games since the All-Star break, batting .533 (8-for-15) with two home runs and five RBIs during the stretch.
Despite Shaw’s encouraging play over the past week, his disappointing batting average (.221) has led many to believe that Chicago could be shopping for a third baseman ahead of the July 31 trade deadline.
For his part, Shaw said he is bringing a fresh perspective to the game following the All-Star break.
“I think getting some time off was really important,” Shaw said. “That was nice. Just kind of reassessing the first half and kind of realizing some of my motivations in the game allowed me to feel a little more comfortable in the box.”
Chicago will send right-hander Colin Rea (8-3, 3.80 ERA) to the mound in the series finale. He won his fourth straight start last Friday in a 4-1 victory over the Boston Red Sox.
Rea, 35, gave up one run over five frames in the outing and has allowed a total of five runs across 23 2/3 innings over his last four starts.
Jonathan India is 2-for-10 (.200) with a home run against Rea, who has a 7.71 ERA in three career games (two starts) versus Kansas City.
The Royals will counter with right-hander Seth Lugo (6-5, 2.94), who allowed a season-high five runs in six innings and received a no-decision against the Miami Marlins last Friday.
Lugo, 35, has posted a 3.93 ERA in three outings this month after going 2-0 with a 1.26 ERA in five outings in June.
Dansby Swanson is 2-for-18 (.111) against Lugo, who is 0-4 with a 5.91 ERA in 14 career games (four starts) versus the Cubs.
The Royals are hoping to bounce back after being held to six singles in Tuesday’s loss, including one by catcher Salvador Perez.
Perez, 35, is batting .359 with eight home runs and 17 RBIs in his last 17 games.
“It’s a long season, just trying to make adjustments,” Perez said. “My first half was a little slow, and I just kept working, talking to my hitting coach. I try to do my best every time I step out to home plate and help my team to win.”