Cubs' John Lackey: Tough-luck loser against Astros on Saturday

Lackey (9-8) gave up two earned runs on four hits and three walks over six innings in Saturday's 2-1 loss to the Astros. He struck out five.

Analysis:

The veteran righty couldn't get any run support on a day when he pitched well overall. Lackey's troubles were all limited to the third inning, when he surrendered a solo shot to Alex Bregman and yielded another run on a Marwin Gonzalez sacrifice. He notched 14 swinging strikes overall on his way to his sixth quality start in the last seven trips to the mound. Lackey will try to rebound for his 10th win of the season when he takes on the Brewers next Friday.