NEWSLETTER
The Chicago Cubs are heading to San Diego this week for three late games (9:10 CT) and one afternoon contest (2:40 CT). Like I said in the title, this is the last non-NL Central series the Cubs have the rest of the way.
Here’s how their schedule otherwise plays out:
The Cubs may have seven head-to-head matchups against the Cardinals remaining, including the last three of the season, but they’ll need to make up some ground before that (they’re currently 4.5 games out of first). That means winning three of four in this series. Gotta do it.
If this division title is going to happen at all, it’s going to be tight. Go Cubs.
(And if you would prefer to think about the Wild Card, because you hate hope, then you can check out Brett’s look at the remaining schedules of the Cubs’ primary opposition.)
We’re Going Streaking
The Chicago Cubs (76-66) are 5-5 over their past ten games. They have a 1.5-game lead for the second Wild Card, but still trail the Nationals by a full 3.0 games for the first spot.
The San Diego Padres (66-76) just took two out of three from the Rockies after being swept by the Diamondbacks. They’re 5-5 over their last ten games and are on the doorstep of being eliminated from the postseason picture entirely.
Game Times and Broadcasts Info
Pitching Matchups
Game 1: Kyle Hendricks (R) v. Cal Quantrill (R)
Game 2: Jose Quintana (L) v. Ronald Bolanos (R)
Game 3: Cole Hamels (L) v. Chris Paddack (R)
Game 4: Yu Darvish (R) v. Dinelson Lamet (R)
Chicago Cubs
Unavailable: Craig Kimbrel, Javy Baez, Addison Russell, Xavier Cedeno, Brandon Morrow, Allen Webster
San Diego Padres
Unavailable: Carl Edwards Jr., Francisco Mejia, Franchy Cordero, Miguel Diaz, Brett Kennedy, Ian Kinsler, Aaron Loup, Jacob Nix, Garrett Richards, Fernando Tatis Jr., Adam Warren
Keep An Eye Out For …
Cubs Pitcher: Yu Darvish will have my attention this week. He made a good, but brief, bounce-back start after a forearm was revealed last week, but the Cubs will need him to be at full-strength if they hope to playing in October.
Cubs Player: Nico Hoerner is set to make his big league debut in this series, albeit under frustrating circumstances (and way ahead of schedule). This is not how I had hoped to see him for the first time, but I’m rooting for the best. Hoerner slashed .284/.344/.399 (117 wRC+) in his first trip through Double-A this season. Right now, he hits for a high average with very few strikeouts, enough walks, and not much power.
Padres Pitcher: Dinelson Lamet just held the Rockies to one earned run over 6.0 innings in his most recent start, and struck out 10 Giants (against just two walks) in the outing before that. His strikeout rate since the beginning of July has been an impressive 30.1%.
Padres Player: Manny Machado has been a below-average offensive contributor in the second-half of the season (99 wRC+). With that said, he’s still walking (9.1%), he doesn’t strike out too often (19.1%), and he makes plenty of hard contact (44.6%) in the air (39.5%). If you were to ask me, I’d guess he’s been a little unlucky, primarily thanks to a .277 BABIP during that stretch. He’s still probably quite good.
