The turn of the calendar hasn't affected Rockies right fielder Carlos Gonzalez. He finished last year with a 10-game hit streak, and his fourth-inning single off the Cubs' stingy Jake Arrieta gave him an 11-game run to start this season. The 21-gamer he'll take into Sunday afternoon's final game of three against the Cubs at Wrigley Field is a career high.
But Gonzalez, who according to Elias is the fourth player in the last 50 seasons to end one season with a hit steak of at least 10 games and begin the next with another such streak, said his team is not living in the past. With five straight losing seasons, Gonzalez said he encourages looking forward.
"You have to put it that way, even when you have bad games, stay positive," said Gonzalez, who also knocked his fourth home run of the season on Saturday, a two-run shot off Cubs reliever Travis Wood in the ninth in the Cubs' 6-2 win. "There's another opportunity the next day. So far that's what we've been doing. You can't get stuck in the past."
Three things to know
• The Cubs will start Jon Lester (1-0, 2.77 ERA), who is 1-1 with a 1.93 ERA in two career starts against the Rockies. Lester pitching means David Ross will be catching back-to-back games. He started Saturday because of matchup considerations, and manager Joe Maddon said the veteran Ross has been conditioned to handle the workload.
"I don't think we're pushing David right now," Maddon said. "I think David's at the top of his game."
• Sunday is the one-year anniversary of Cubs power-hitting third baseman Kris Bryant's debut.
"It's been a big year for me," he said. "I learned a lot along the way. I'm far from where I want to be."
• Rockies right-hander Tyler Chatwood (1-1) will make his Wrigley Field debut. In two starts, Chatwood has given up a .333 opponents' batting average and his five strikeouts against one walk in 12 1/3 innings has helped him stay competitive
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