The Padres and Cubs are among the teams currently locked in a battle to be the next-most-worst team in baseball, behind the Astros, whom nobody is catching. Fun.
By way of reminder, the Series Preview hooks you up with what you need to know about every series this year – streaks, broadcast information, pitchers, expected lineups, etc. That way, if you want to check only one place to get a sense about an upcoming series, or to plan ahead, you’ve got it. Oh, and there will be pictures of beautiful women, too.
We’re Going Streaking
The Cubs have lost five in a row, after being swept by the Dodgers in L.A. They had been pretty hot before this stretch.
The Padres have long since passed the Rockies for fourth place in the NL West, but they’re still a healthy margin under .500. They did just take their last series from the Mets, though.
Game Times and Broadcasts
- Monday, August 6 at 9:05 CT on CSN.
- Tuesday, August 7 at 9:05 CT on CSN+.
- Wednesday, August 8 at 5:35 CT on WGN.
Expected Starters and Lineups
These lineups are likely to be pretty close to what actually gets fielded, but you’ll want to check each day’s Pre-Gamin’ post for the actual lineup.
Cubs
Starters: Travis Wood (4-7, 4.90), TBA, Jeff Samardzija (7-9, 4.37)
Lineup:
- David DeJesus, RF
- Brett Jackson, CF
- Anthony Rizzo, 1B
- Alfonso Soriano, LF
- Starlin Castro, SS
- Steve Clevenger, C
- Josh Vitters/Luis Valbuena, 3B
- Darwin Barney, 2B
- Pitcher
Padres
Starters: Eric Stults (1-2, 3.19), Ross Ohlendorf (3-2, 6.27), Clayton Richard (8-11, 4.01)
Lineups:
- Alexi Amarista, 2B
- Everth Cabrera, SS
- Chase Headley, 3B
- Carlos Quentin, LF
- Yonder Alonso, 1B
- Will Venable, RF
- Cameron Maybin, CF
- John Baker, C
- Pitcher
Hot or Not and Whom to Watch
What can you say about Anthony Rizzo that hasn’t already been said? He’s hitting .310/.348/.550 in 33 games this year, with 9 homers and 23 RBI. If he kept up that pace over a full season, he’d have about 45 homers and 115 RBI. Those are MVP type numbers. But, let’s keep it cool: it’s only been a little over a month. Hurdles are coming.
Welington Castillo is doing his best to claim the open starting catching job, with a couple homers in the last three games.
Huston Street’s numbers this year are absolutely mind-boggling. He’s got a 5.38 K/BB ratio, a 0.82 ERA, a 0.576 WHIP(!), and a 449 ERA+ (!!!). Oh, and just 18 saves, because, well, Padres.
Cameron Maybin signed a big extension before the season, and he’s rewarded the Padres with a .212/.290/.324 line (and, to be fair, excellent defense in center).
On the flip side, Carlos Quentin, who just received an extension from the Padres (together with Street), continues to hit quite well, upping his line to .266/.382/.511.
Series She-View
The Series She-View is one beautiful woman representing the Cubs taking on another (usually) beautiful woman representing the opponent. The Cubs’ representative will change as the team’s needs change – in other words, if the Cubs are winning, the rep will stay the same. But if the Cubs’ performance calls for a change, someone new will step in. The opponent’s representative will change from series to series, at my whim. But at least she’ll probably be wearing the opponent’s colors or have some connection to the team or something like that. It is immature, and the connection to baseball is tenuous at best. These things, I know.
No rep can survive a sweep, and so it is with the lovely Bar Refaeli, who will have to dry her tears with million dollar bills (they make those special for beautiful women). A random new rep for the Cubs: Alison Brie. She’s from Hollywood (like, born there – her life was preordained), where the Cubs are just leaving, so there’s kind of a fit. I think she might be a repeat, but there’s just no way to be certain. No, we must carry on.
As for the Padres, how about Olivia Munn? I have absolutely no basis for this selection other than the fact that she popped into my head as I typed this sentence.
This is actually a pretty tough matchup, which is pretty fairly reflective of the two teams’ evenness on the field.
versus
I like your week. Monday, Tuesday, Sunday. Cuts out the boring middle part.
Ha. But then you lose the two best days …
Good choices in the she-view Alison Brie is VERY solid and Olivia Munn, well, is Olivia Munn.
Well stated and I am in total agreement …
Olivia Munn is hot!! She’s also very good on The Newsroom.
I think you definitely gave the Padres the hotter chick…and if you aren’t watching Newroom, you should be!!!
I absolutely love Olivia Munn.
Think the cubs got the short end, Olivia is smokin, those two might be the highlight of this series. just sayin.
Annie’s Boobs.
Greatest name for a pet monkey ever.
If the Padres happen to take this series, can we bring Olivia Munn with us for the next one?
Anyone complaining about Alison Brie clearly is not watching enough Community. And didn’t see her singing in a Santa outfit.
I wouldn’t think twice about stepping on Olivia Munn’s face to get closer to Alison Brie.
Couldn’t possibly agree more.
I will take Allison Brie over Olivia Munn any day of the week.
As for the series, well, it should at least be fun watching Jackson and Vitters play.
So i see MLB.com is having the great Trout vs. Harper debate. While they are both great talents, its sad to see that Rizzo continually is left out of those discussions. I think over the course of their careers that Rizzo will be right there along with them. If he can be a constant .300-30-100 guy. Wich is very achievable for him. Maybe its be cause they play a premium position but come on….. where’s the love?
Probably just because Rizzo only has 30 some games in so far.
I understand that but they were doing this before Trout and Harper even reached the Majors.
I love RizzOMG as much as the next guy, but I’d much rather that he fly under the wire for as long as possible as far as national every day coverage is concerned. Let him get solidly established mentally as a major league-er and let Trout and Harper bear the weight of the spotlight.
im more than happy to keep cub rookie and prospect love all to myself, and the obsessive BN cub fan base.for anyone that missed the prospect video a couple of days ago… almora has a SWEET stroke, vogelbach is a trimmed down beast that feeds on A ball pitching, soler is a FREAK of nature with all the tools to be the next ERIC DAVIS, javier biaz probably our 3rd baseman of the future and at 19 we only await his ceiling, this we all know, but the rest of the world…well not so much and im okay with it.they can have harper and trout!
Trout is on an island by himself. He is the premier Swiss army knife of baseball. A top combination of power, speed, contact, mentality, smarts, and unbelievable defensive ability. Now for Rizzo, he’s got everything Trout has but one. He’s got the power, contact, mentality, smarts, and great defensive ability(YES EVEN FOR A FIRST BASEMAN.) The one thing he doesnt have that Trout does possess is the speed. That speed gives Trout a unique leg up on any other player because he actually has the body of a third baseman. I’v said this before and I stick by it. IF Rizzo was as fast as Trout I’d take Rizzo over Trout in a heartbeat… Rizzo for NL ROY!!
I can’t really blame national media for not falling in love with Rizzo yet. Remember that if you include last year he’s a career .226/.313/.397 in 257 AB’s
I’m completely biased and dismiss last year, swing change….yada, yada, but to think national media is going to gaga over his performance so far is a little premature.
good more gaga for me
i was at the game yesterday and every time rizzo came up i stood up and screamed… and got puzzled looks, mixed with dirty looks from dodger fans. they knew i was a cub fan, but they couldnt understand where all the frantic love foe rizzo came from. then in the 9th rizzo rewarded me with a BOMB into the bullpen in right field. needless to say my rants were not well recieved by dodger fans but the looks were no longer puzzled.
Seems like a good time to remind all comment readers that Tommy Lasorda sucks.
id be careful; those dodgers fans…. not known for their civility towards the fans of the other team.
Yeah, I wouldn’t wear any Giants gear there.
you know more than one person told me that a cubs fan has it bad enough already, and that they had a spot in there heart for the cubs and the 100+year thing. still i think i was over doing it in my castro jersey. buy the 7th inning the home crowd is pretty drunk and unpredictable! kinda scary walking back to the car after the game too
I had a little old lady at the game gently tell me that she and her husband used to be Cubs fans, too, until 1987. I asked her, what happened in ’87? “Why, we won the World Series!”
I’m sitting there thinking, huh? We won the World Series in ’87? Maybe she’s daffy… oh.
Stupid Dodgers fans.
She was off a year: the Dodgers won the next season. (That was the Kirk Gibson HR series.) They have not won since, which is by far the longest dry spell for the Dodgers since the 1950′s.
in 87 we finished dead last…but andre dawson did win the MVP award
I was just a kid that season. My favorite player was (of course) the second baseman, but I remember just sitting there *waiting* for him to hit a home run every time he came up that year. He was so much fun to watch. Even years later, knowing more about baseball, it’s hard not to compare every right fielder in the game to Dawson that year.
I’m also glad that he, at least, didn’t have to wait until he died to get to Cooperstown. Andre and the Cubs had one heck of a messy divorce, but it’s hard — as a fan — not to remember him fondly.
The biggest difference between those three guys is that Rizzo plays first base, and the others are premier defensive outfielders. HUGE difference in value
Daytona has no game today & Lendy Castillo is scheduled to start on Tuesday. My money says he is on his way to S.D to start that game tomorrow. Cubs have to activate him before rosters expand Sept. 1st anyway to comply with Rule V draft procedures. He has been throwing with a pitch limit of 75 his last 2 starts & should be ready to move that up to 80 – 90. Beliveau not used yesterday could get the call for middle innings 6 & 7 if needed.
Alison Brie, YES. I think it was Conan where Alison talked about streaking around her college because it was a tradition.
Dale’s line-up will be interesting to see tonight. Which lefties will he leave in, and does he start inserting Mather? Lendy Castillo does make sense for tomorrow.
is Josh vitters going to start today? If so, Is he going to be starting regularly from now on? Im over valbuena
Got an idea for a future rep…..
Cote de pablo
And there’s a fantastic picture of her in a blue (very close to cubbie blue) dress that would work
Or since we need some hope with this team….HOPE Solo!
So glad that the new BCB restriction against girlie pics is *not* in force here! One of many reasons this this the best Cubs blog on the ‘net.
1) your opening paragraph was the most cynical and snarky I’ve yet read, and 2) good she-view, but your pic does no justice to Olivia Munn. She’s actually super hot, and funny (for a chick, of course).
Go Cubs.
Olivia is a talentless be=aaach. When I 1st saw her on the D-show she was boring and expected the hot chick no talent thing was working, not.
Um..Brett.. Where did you get pictures of my wife and future wife for the Padres Series Preview? lol
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