NEWSLETTER
The Cubs are … not having a good time lately. They’ve lost six straight games, are dealing with a ton of injuries in the rotation and lineup, and have seven straight contests coming up against two very good teams (San Diego and Atlanta).
It’s not great!
We’re Going Streaking
The Chicago Cubs (23-36) were just pantsed in New York and have now lost six straight games. They’re the third worst team in the NL and fifth worst overall.
The San Diego Padres (37-24) are just a half-game behind the Dodgers in the NL West, with a three-game lead over the Giants. They did just split a series with the Rockies at home, but they’re also winners of 7 of their last ten.
Hot or Not and What to Watch
Ian Happ had a monster game on Sunday, with a walk, single, triple, and homer, bringing his overall slashline up to a top-25 mark: .275/.378/.466 (134 wRC+).
And he’s been even better recently:
Willson Contreras is still on fire, slashing .302/.444/.628 (197 wRC+). Meanwhile, his average exit velocity is up to 6th best in MLB (93.4 MPH).
Jake Cronenworth is the hottest Padres of late, with three homers and four doubles in his last 9 games. But Jurickson Profar is hitting the ball well this season, especially lately, and Trent Grisham has looked good too.
Surprisingly, the once red-hot Manny Machado has cooled off, slashing just .211/.273/.352 (77 wRC+) in his last 77 PAs dating all the way back to May 23.
Game Times and Broadcast Info
Pitching Probables
Game 1: Yu Darvish (R) vs. Justin Steele (L)
Game 2: Sean Manaea (L) vs. Kyle Hendricks (R)
Game 3: Joe Musgrove (R) vs. Caleb Kilian (R)
Game 4: Nick Martinez (R) vs. Matt Swarmer (R)
Chicago Cubs
Injured/Unavailable: Michael Hermosillo, Seiya Suzuki, Drew Smyly, Marcus Stroman, Wade Miley, David Bote, Adbert Alzolay, Brad Wieck, Codi Heuer, Manuel Rodriguez, Ethan Roberts
San Diego Padres
Injured/Unavailable: Mike Clevinger, Adrian Morejon, Matt Beaty, Wil Myers, Robert Suarez, Drew Pomeranz, Fernando Tatis Jr, Austin Adams, Pierce Johnson
By the Numbers
Run Differential:
Cubs: -42
Padres: +48
Runs Scored Per Game:
Cubs: 4.29
Padres: 4.39
Runs Allowed Per Game:
Cubs: 5.00
Padres: 3.61
