CHICAGO (Interstat) — The Chicago Cubs host the Detroit Tigers on Monday night at Wrigley Field, with the first-place Cubs looking to extend their lead in the NL Central against a Tigers team trying to climb back to .500. Chicago enters the game with a 56-43 record, holding a comfortable position in the playoff race. Detroit, at 46-53, has struggled for consistency and sits below .500 as the season nears the two-thirds mark. The pitching matchup features two right-handers with contrasting recent fortunes. Shota Imanaga (9-3) takes the mound for the Cubs after a dominant outing July 19 against Minnesota, when he pitched seven scoreless innings, allowing six hits and striking out four in a 10-1 victory. Over his past five starts, Imanaga owns a 2-2 record with a 2.55 ERA, though he struggled in consecutive losses to Cincinnati and St. Louis earlier this month. Detroit counters with Casey Mize (4-7), who is coming off a short outing July 19 at the Los Angeles Angels, lasting just 3 1/3 innings while allowing one earned run on five hits in a 2-3 loss. Mize has been inconsistent, posting a 2-2 record with a 3.18 ERA over his last five starts. His best outing came June 29 at Yankee Stadium, when he threw seven shutout innings with 10 strikeouts in a 7-3 win. However, he has failed to complete six innings in two of his past three starts. The Tigers are looking to bounce back after dropping Sunday’s series finale 3-2 in Anaheim. Shortstop Kevin McGonigle homered and drove in the only run for Detroit. The Tigers took two of three from the Angels. The Cubs won their series against Minnesota, taking two of three, including Sunday’s 10-1 rout. Second baseman Nico Hoerner drove in four runs, and third baseman Alex Bregman homered and drove in two. The Interstat game simulator projects a 7-6 victory for the Cubs. The three-game series continues Tuesday and Wednesday at Wrigley Field.