Series Preview: Cubs at Giants, July 28 – July 31, 2022

The Chicago Cubs (W6) are hotter than any team in baseball and they’re off to the West Coast to face the coldest team in MLB, the San Francisco Giants (L7).

These two squads will square up for four straight at Oracle Park, three of which are late night contests here in the midwest, two of which are on non-Marquee stations (AppleTV+ and ESPN).

The Cubs have two lefties (Justin Steele and Drew Smyly) scheduled to throw in this one, and both have been pitching well lately. But the Giants are one of the toughest teams against LHP in MLB: 114 wRC+, 7th. So it won’t be easy.

We’re Going Streaking

The Chicago Cubs (40-57) have the longest active winning streak in MLB (6 games). Meanwhile, the San Francisco Giants (48-50) have lost seven in a row, cratering their playoff odds and chances of being a buyer at the deadline.

Hot or Not and Whom to Watch

Will Drew Smyly make one last start in a Cubs uniform? Or will the Cubs try to trade him ahead of that final outing before the trade deadline? Sometimes, a pitcher’s start can act as a sort of soft deadline for both teams to get a deal done.

Will Willson Contreras catch even one game this weekend? I really don’t think he will. Or, at least, he certainly shouldn’t, not with Yan Gomes and P.J. Higgins on the roster. Contreras will undoubtedly play DH, but there’s no reason for him to get behind the plate.

Is David Robertson permanently down until the deadline? Or was there any truth to the timing of his (un)availability on Tuesday night. It’s not like Mychal Givens didn’t pitch. Speaking of which, Givens hasn’t allowed an earned run since JUNE 14!

Was Joey Bart really pulled from the game because he was sick yesterday? Or was that a smoke screen because he’s involved in trade rumors?

Game Times and Broadcast Info

  • Thursday, July 28 at 8:45 CT on MARQ, 670 The Score
  • Friday, July 29 at 9:15 CT on AppleTV+, 670 The Score
  • Saturday, July 30 at 8:05 CT on MARQ, 670 The Score
  • Sunday, July 31 at 6:08 CT on ESPN, 670 The Score
  • Pitching Probables

    Game 1: Justin Steele (LHP) vs. Alex Wood (LHP)
    Game 2: Marcus Stroman (RHP) vs. Alex Cobb (RHP)
    Game 3: Drew Smyly (LHP) vs. Jakob Junis (RHP)
    Game 4: Adrian Sampson (RHP) vs. Carlos Rodón (RHP)

    Chicago Cubs:

  • C – Yan Gomes/P.J. Higgins
  • 1B – Alfonso Rivas/Frank Schwindel
  • 2B – Chris Morel
  • 3B – Patrick Wisdom
  • SS – Nico Hoerner
  • LF – Ian Happ
  • CF – Rafael Ortega
  • RF – Seiya Suzuki
  • DH – Willson Contreras
  • Injured/Unavailable: Nick Madrigal, Jason Heyward, Andrelton Simmons, Wade MIley, Alec Mills, Kyle Hendricks, Adbert Alzolay, Brad Wieck, Codi Heuer, Manuel Rodriguez, Michael Hermosillo, Ethan Roberts

    San Francisco Giants:

  • C – Joey Bart (sickness?)
  • 1B – Brandon Belt
  • 2B – Wilmer Flores
  • 3B – Tommy La Stella
  • SS – Thairo Estrada
  • LF – Joc Pederson
  • CF – Mike Yastrzemski
  • RF – Luis González
  • DH – LaMonte Wade Jr./Yermin Mercedes
  • Injured/Unavailable: Curt Casali, Brandon Crawford, Evan Longoria, Trevor Rosenthal, Zack Littell, Sam Delaplane, Matthew Boyd, Colton Welker, Anthony DeSclafani, José Álvarez, Mauricio Llovera

    By the Numbers

    Run Differential:
    Cubs: -65
    Giants: +26

    Runs Scored Per Game:
    Cubs: 4.31
    Giants: 4.65

    Runs Allowed Per Game:
    Cubs: 4.98
    Giants: 4.39

    written by

    Michael Cerami began covering the Chicago Cubs for Bleacher Nation as a part-time contributor in 2015. One year later, he joined Bleacher Nation full-time, covering the Chicago Cubs and Major League Baseball. Today, Michael runs Bleacher Nation, contributing as a writer (Cubs, MLB) and an editor for all sections of the site, including the Chicago Bears, Bulls, and Blackhawks, as well as MLB, NBA, NHL, and NFL. In 2019, Michael was the co-host of NBC Sports Chicago's Cubs Post-Game Show Outside the Ivy. You can find him on Twitter/X @Michael_Cerami

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