Dodgers vs. Cubs schedule & probable starting pitchers

The Dodgers conclude their road trip with their toughest test yet, a four-game road series against baseball's best team, the Cubs. The two teams begin play on Monday afternoon, and here is a look at the probable starting pitchers for the four-game series at Wrigley Field.

Monday, 2:05 p.m. PT (SportsNet LA)

Alex Wood makes his first start since May 21, after getting pushed back three days with left triceps soreness. He is coming off a career high with 13 strikeouts and in his last five starts has 43 strikeouts and five walks. Jason Hammel has allowed more than two runs just twice in nine starts this season and sports a 2.17 ERA, to go with a 21.6-percent strike rate, though the latter is his lowest in three years.

Tuesday, 5:05 p.m. (SportsNet LA, ESPN)

Scott Kazmir is coming off a season high of his own with 12 strikeouts last week against the Reds, giving him a 27.7-percent strikeout rate in May after a 19.1-percent rate in five starts in April. Cubs ace Jake Arrieta actually allowed four runs in his last start, the first time he did that since June 16, 2015, but Chicago still won. The Cubs have won each of his last 23 starts, tying a major league record dating back to 1913.

Wednesday, 5:05 p.m. (SportsNet LA, ESPN)

With the off day last Thursday plus the shuffling in the rotation done by the Dodgers, Mike Bolsinger has a full seven days rest in between starts. Bolsinger made one start at Wrigley Field last year, striking out six and allowing two runs but got a no-decision because he only lasted 4⅔ innings. Despite his much-publicized trouble with throws to first base and covering baserunners, Jon Lester has allowed only five steals in eight attempts this season. The Cubs as a team have allowed 36 steals, second-most in the National League, in 45 attempts, with four other pitchers with at least as many allowed as Lester, including reliever Trevor Cahill.

Both ESPN telecasts, Tuesday and Wednesday, are blacked out in the LA market, and the Tuesday broadcast is blacked out in the Chicago market.

Thursday, 11:20 a.m. (SportsNet LA)

Kenta Maeda told reporters Sunday that the swelling in his hand went down from Saturday, when he pitched five scoreless innings, the last four after getting hit by a line drive. It was Maeda's fourth scoreless start in 10 appearances, and lowered his road ERA to 1.91. Kyle Hendricks is coming off a complete game home win over the Phillies and this yar has a 1.93 ERA at Wrigley Field.