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Cubs-Braves Preview

Jul 18, 2015 - 4:57 AM Runs remain hard to come by for the Chicago Cubs, especially with Jon Lester on the mound.

They'll again look to give the left-hander some needed support as he tries for his first win in two months Saturday night against the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field.

A loser in four of five, Chicago (47-41) has totaled six runs, hit into seven double plays and gone 3 for 21 with runners in scoring position over the last four. The Cubs wasted three hits from catching prospect Kyle Schwarber by going 1 for 6 with runners in scoring position during Friday's 4-2 defeat.

The fourth overall pick in 2014 and MVP of Sunday's All-Star Futures Game, Schwarber is batting .423 (11 for 26) in seven games with Chicago, but he also was charged with two errors in his debut behind the plate Friday.

Schwarber won't catch as veteran David Ross, who has three more hits in 48 more at-bats than Schwarber, remains Lester's personal catcher.

"We'll try to pair (Schwarber) up as well as we can and give him a soft landing, catching-wise, and continue to move forward," manager Joe Maddon told MLB's official website. "We want to try to make the adjustment as easy as possible."

That might not bode well for Lester (4-8, 3.59 ERA), who has received eight runs of support over a 10-start stretch during which he's 0-6 with a 3.50 ERA. His 1.17 run-support average since May 22 is by far the lowest in baseball during that span.

He lasted seven innings for a third straight outing last Saturday, but allowed five runs, seven hits and struck out eight in a 5-1 loss to the White Sox.

''I feel like I've been OK to the point where I've looked up at the stats a little bit and kind of wondered what's going on,'' said Lester, whose last win came against Pittsburgh on May 16. ''But it is what it is. At the end of the day, you can't give up more than the other guy and I've been doing that.''

He is 2-2 with a 3.60 ERA against the Braves (43-47), who snapped a five-game skid by winning for the eighth time in their last 10 at home. Eury Perez delivered a tiebreaking two-run double for his fourth hit in the last two games to help Atlanta beat Chicago for the 12th time in the last 14.

''We need everybody to step up," veteran Kelly Johnson said. "We need anybody and everybody.''

Johnson is batting .400 (12 for 30) with 12 RBIs in his last 10 games but is 1 for 15 against Lester.

Though left-hander Manny Banuelos (1-0, 0.75) is likely to finish his season in the Braves bullpen, he'll take the ball to begin this contest after allowing a solo homer and six other hits in 11 innings of his first two major league starts this month.

"This guy can do a lot of different things," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "He's a good athlete. He's got poise. He's got composure. He competes."

Banuelos will try to extend the struggles of All-Star Kris Bryant, who is 3 for 23 with 10 strikeouts in the last seven games.