NEWSLETTER
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
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:
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:
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
