Chicago Cubs (58-40) at Arizona Diamondbacks (48-50), 9:40 p.m.

Tag : Lead Wires
By Sports Network The Sports Network
Both the Chicago Cubs and Arizona Diamondbacks have been in frontof their respective divisions for most of this season, but neitherteam has played particularly well as of late. The slumping playoffhopefuls get together for a three-game series that begins tonightat Chase Field.
The Cubs' once-sizeable lead atop the National League Central hasdwindled down to just two games over the rival St. Louis Cardinalsfollowing a string of three recent losses. Milwaukee is also withinstriking distance of the top spot, as the third-place Brewers nowtrail Chicago by three games in the standings.
Chicago did put an end to its three-game slide and avoided a seriessweep of the also-ran Houston Astros with Sunday's 9-0 victory,with All-Stars Ryan Dempster and Carlos Marmol teaming up for asix-hit shutout.
Dempster (11-4) worked the first eight innings and yielded just sixhits and one walk while striking out seven. Marmol finished thingsup by tossing a 1-2-3 ninth.
Mike Fontenot led the Cubs offense with three hits, including asolo home run, and three RBI. Derrek Lee also knocked in three runsin the win, while Ryan Theriot finished 3-for-5 with two RBI forChicago.
Rich Harden will make his second start in a Cubs uniform intonight's opener. The oft-injured right-hander, who was acquiredfrom Oakland along with swingman Chad Gaudin on July 8, lived up tohis billing in his Chicago debut despite not coming up with avictory.
Against San Francisco on July 12, Harden fired 5 1/3 shutoutinnings and racked up 10 strikeouts before being removed with histeam holding a 7-0 lead. The Chicago bullpen then proceeded toallow seven runs in the eighth and ninth frames to deny their newteammate his first NL win.
Harden, who will be facing the Diamondbacks for the first time,compiled a 5-1 record with a 2.34 earned run average in 13 startswith the Athletics prior to the trade. He also struck out animpressive 92 batters in 77 innings.
Arizona enters this set tied with Los Angeles for first place inthe soft NL West with a 48-50 record. The Dodgers pulled even withthe Diamondbacks by winning two of three games at Chase Field overthe weekend, including Sunday's 6-5 comeback triumph.
The D-Backs took a 4-1 lead into the ninth inning of Sunday's tilt,but closer Brandon Lyon (2-4) was torched for five runs on fivehits while getting just two outs in the final frame.
Lyon's shoddy performance spoiled Brandon Webb's bid to become thefirst 14- game winner in the majors this season. The Arizona acedid his part by limiting Los Angeles to one run and six hits overthe first eight innings.
Stephen Drew ended 4-for-5 with an RBI single for the Diamondbacks,losers of three of their last four games. Arizona has gone just 6-9so far in July.
The Diamondbacks will turn to Randy Johnson tonight in hopes ofgetting back on track. The future Hall of Famer has wonback-to-back starts since enduring six consecutive losing outingsand improved his season record to 6-7.
Johnson was brilliant in a July 6 matchup against San Diego, withthe towering lefty allowing just one run on three hits and strikingout 10 through 6 1/3 innings of Arizona's 3-2 win. He wasn't assharp in a July 12 start at Philadelphia, but received plenty ofoffensive support in a 10-4 decision. Johnson gave up four runs andfive hits over six innings against the Phillies.
The 44-year-old, who is 10 victories shy of reaching the coveted300-win milestone, is a perfect 12-0 with a 1.98 ERA in 13 careerstarts against Chicago. Johnson did not face the Cubs when theDiamondbacks visited Wrigley Field back in May, however.
Chicago swept that above-mentioned three-game set against Arizonato avenge the Diamondbacks' disposing of the Cubs in last October'sNational League Division Series, in which Arizona took all threecontests. The D-Backs also won two of three from Chicago in theNorth Siders' lone regular-season visit to Chase Field last year.