NEWSLETTER
[UPDATE: The start is going to be delayed thanks to an impending thunderstorm.]
Well, well, well … we’ve got ourselves a good ole fashioned rubber match, don’t we?
With the series tied at one game a piece, Jose Quintana and the Cubs will try to take down Zack Greinke and the Diamondbacks. It’s a great pitching battle and should be must-watch baseball.
Greinke, as I’m sure you’ve heard by now, is having another great season (2.84 ERA, 3.18 FIP) this year, after a dreadful 2016 campaign (4.37 ERA, 4.12 FIP). He tossed 15.0 innings over his past two starts alone, allowing just three earned runs in the process. He also struck out 15 in those 15 innings, while walking just one batter. Yeesh. The Cubs clearly have their work cut out for them today, but who knows, maybe Greinke is due for a slip up.
And hey, the Cubs have a pretty dominant pitcher on the mound today too. Through three starts with the Cubs, Jose Quintana has a stellar 2.37 ERA with the peripherals to support it (2.67 FIP, 2.80 xFIP). He’s struck out 25 batters over the past three games while walking just five and has allowed just a .179 batting average against.
It hasn’t all been hunky-dory for the Cubs and Quintana, though. Through his three starts with the Cubs, he’s induced very few ground balls (37.5%), has gotten very little soft contact (11.9%) and as allowed a ton of hard contact (38.1%). Considering the home run era we now find ourselves in, that’s a very dangerous combination.
Game time is 1:20. It should be a good one.
Game Info
Chicago Cubs (57-49) at Arizona Diamondbacks (61-46)Â – 1:20 CT on CSN-C, 670 The Score
Game Thread and Series Preview
Your game thread is down in the comments, so let’s have some good, clean (safe-for-work) fun today.
Starting Pitchers
Cubs: Jose Quintana (L): 4.16 ERA, 3.81 FIP, 3.93 xFIP; 2.98 K/BB
versus
D-Backs: Zack Greinke (R): 2.84 ERA, 3.18 FIP, 3.22 xFIP; 5.52 K/BB
Arizona Diamondbacks:
- Gregor Blanco, LF
- Adam Rosales, SS
- A.J. Pollock, CF
- Paul Goldschmidt, 1B
- J.D. Martinez, RF
- Brandon Drury, 2B
- Jake Lamb, 3B
- Chris Mathis, C
- Zack Greinke, P
Chicago Cubs Lineup:
- Jon Jay, CF
- Kris Bryant, 3B
- Anthony Rizzo, 1B
- Willson Contreras, C
- Kyle Schwarber, LF
- Ian Happ, 2B
- Jason Heyward, RF
- Javy Baez, SS
- Jose Quintana, P
