The Cubs kick off the first of three big intradivisional series with a three game set at Wrigley North. If the Cubs are going to pounce on the Brewers, these back-to-back weekend series would be the time to do it. The Brewers still have a negative run differential, and are reeling due to recent injuries to their starting rotation. Bob …
Series Preview: Chicago Cubs (46-42) at Chicago White Sox (41-43)
The Cubs have one last short series before the ASB, and will see some old farmhands in Eloy Jiminez and the newly promoted Dylan Cease. Cease is not expected to start, but with the break imminent who knows, he may get to face his old tema. Team Leaders Cubs OBP: Bryant (.399) ISO: Contreras (.278) HR: Baez (22) R+RBI: Baez …
Series Preview: New York Mets (35-39) at Chicago Cubs (40-33)
I would have sworn that the Cubs have already played the Mets this year, but it looks like that is not the case. Much like another NY team who shares 75% of the letters in the team name, I don’t think there’s any moment in which their manager is not on the hot seat. Rumors of Mickey Callaway’s demise seem …
Series Preview: Chicago White Sox (34-36) at Chicago Cubs (39-32)
I had to double check the White Sox record, as I thought they were something like 25-45. But when you play most of your games in the AL central I guess that helps a bit. After flirting with .500 for most of the last month they finally sealed the deal last Friday to move to 34-34, but lost their last …
Series Preview: Chicago Cubs (38-29) at Los Angeles Dodgers of Los Angeles (45-23)
Jake Arrieta no-hitters aside, I always seem to expect disaster when the Cubs make trips to California. The Cubs did manage to take two of three from the Dodgers at Wrigley earlier this year as a part of bouncing back from their disaster start to the season. Even money whether Joe raises a stink over Jansen’s delivery. Team Leaders Cubs …
Series Preview: Colorado Rockies (31-27) at Chicago Cubs (32-26)
Wait, the Rockies are good again? Last I remembered they got off to a terrible start and were already written off. They had an eight game losing streak in April and were an early 2019 Cubs-esque 3-12. Since then they have gone 28-15, and are currently riding an eight game winning streak that wipes out that earlier dumpster fire of …
Series Preview: Chicago Cubs (31-23) at St Louis Cardinals (27-28)
The Cardinals had a brutal month of May, going 7-17 and nearly going from first to worst in the division. While their offense has been solid, their starting pitching has been brutal. Michael Wacha has taken another giant step back, and the shine has faded from Miles Mikolas after he took the league by storm in 2018. Team Leaders Cubs …
Series Preview: Philadelphia Phillies (27-19) at Chicago Cubs (27-17)
Two first place teams match up for a big series at Wrigley Field. All the story lines will be focused on the return of Jay Carrieta, whose rotation spot didn’t come up against the Cubs in his first year in Philadelphia. Team Leaders Phils OBP: Rhys Hoskins (.390) ISO: Hoskins (.273) HR: Hoskins (11) R+RBI: Hoskins (62) wRC+: Hoskins (148) …
Series Preview: Chicago Cubs (25-16) at Washington Nationals (18-25)
It’s been a rough go of it for the Nats this year, just won their first series in over a month. Former Cubs bench coach Dave Martinez doesn’t seem to have brought that Joe Maddon magic along with him, and every new team that comes into DC has to be double checking wikipedia before the series to see if he’s …
Series Preview: St Louis Cardinals (20-11) at Chicago Cubs (16-12)
The Cubs have caught fire over the past few weeks, but the same can be said for the Cardinals. Their offense (112 wRC+) has been on par with the Cubs (114 wrC+), but their pitching staff has been a dumpster fire. Their starters sport a 4.47 ERA, which is slightly worse than average, but that masks an absurd 81.5% strand …