Cubs left-hander Matthew Boyd’s All-Star Game locker last week in Atlanta sat between those of Clayton Kershaw and Chris Sale. He let that sink in as he walked into the National

“Somehow he’s just gotten better in this stretch,” Counsell said. “He’s just overwhelming hitters. It’s just a great pitch mix and deception. You watch the Bobby Witt at-bats, who’s one of the best hitters in the game. What (Boyd) did there tonight is a great example of how good the stuff is. It’s been fun to watch him pitch.”

Its Wednesday, July 23 and the Royals (49-53) are in Chicago to close out their series with the Cubs (60-41). Seth Lugo is slated to take the mound for Kansas City against Colin Rea for Chicago.

Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective. WPA Play of the Game: Matt Shaw’s RBI single in the second scored Dansby Swanson. (.072) *Royals Play of the Game: Freddy Fermin’s single in the fifth. (.062)

Matthew Boyd pitched seven scoreless innings and the Chicago Cubs spoiled 45-year-old Rich Hill's return to the major leagues with a 6-0 win over the visiting Kansas City Royals on Tuesday.

Though a blowup in his last start against the San Diego Padres has inflated his numbers, the 26-year-old Gore is in the middle of a breakout season. His 140 strikeouts rank second in the National League and earned his first All-Star appearance thanks to a 3.02 ERA.

Preview the July 22 matchup between the Chicago Cubs and Kansas City Royals with recent trends, how to watch, livestream info, and more.