Cubs and A's bring strong interleague records into series finale

The hosts Chicago Cubs and Oakland Athletics get one last chance to improve their impressive interleague records when they conclude a three-game series on Wednesday afternoon.

The Cubs (77-74) suffered a bitter defeat in the second game of the series on Tuesday evening, losing 4-3 despite two home runs by Ian Happ. Oakland catcher Shea Langeliers equalized with two home runs.

The loss has left the Cubs six games behind the last wildcard spot in the National League, with only eleven games left to play.

It was a rare interleague loss for Chicago, which is 27-18 against American League competition. Only the Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves have more interleague wins.

The Cubs' interleague winning percentage of .600 is far better than the team's overall winning percentage of .510.

The A's (66-86) can say the same. Oakland split the first two games of this series and goes into its final game against NL competition on Wednesday with an interleague record of 23-22.

The A's have also played better in interleague play (.511) than against American League opponents (.402). Oakland and the Tampa Bay Rays are the only teams in the major leagues with a winning record in interleague play but a losing record overall.

The Cubs, who have one game left against the A's and then four against the struggling Washington Nationals, can't afford any slip-ups in their fight for the playoffs. And they're putting a premium on the series finale as left-hander Justin Steele (5-5, 3.09 ERA) returns to the rotation after a stint on the injured list due to tendinitis in his left elbow.

Chicago manager Craig Counsell defended the decision to return a pitcher who last appeared in a game on August 27.

“If he's healthy, he'll pitch,” Counsell said. “And all signs point to him being healthy.”

In his last outing, Steele allowed two runs in five innings in a 9-5 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was placed on the injured list five days later.

In his only appearance against the A's, Steele limited Oakland to four hits and two runs (one earned) in six innings in a 12-2 road victory on April 19, 2023.

A's manager Mark Kotsay spoke about his team's one-dimensional offense after Tuesday's win.

“Most of our runs this year have been home runs,” Kotsay said. “We have a decent record in games where we hit more than one home run.”

“We don't preach hitting home runs. It's nice to know that these guys aren't focused on hitting home runs. They're focused on hitting the ball hard. It's been fun to watch them succeed.”

Rookie left-hander Brady Basso (1-0, 1.23 ERA) is looking to earn a spot as a pitcher in Kotsay's rotation plans for 2025, aiming for his third strong start in a row.

After pitching out of the bullpen in his first three major league appearances, Basso moved to the rotation this month and has yet to allow a run in 11 1/3 innings. In starts against the Detroit Tigers and Chicago White Sox, he allowed just eight hits and two walks and struck out eight players.

The 26-year-old has yet to play against the Cubs.

–Field level media