NEWSLETTER
Cubs vs Marlins — Whew! The Cubs got through their first West Coast road trip of the year, and did so with a winning record (5-4) against the Padres, Mariners, and Diamondbacks. They definitely let a couple games slip out of their hands, but they took two others that they probably should’ve lost. So … call it even?
They are getting Jameson Taillon back for tonight’s start, which is nice, but they’re still playing without Justin Steele, Seiya Suzuki, and Julian Merryweather. And while a four-game set against the last-place Marlins at Wrigley Field (ahead of an off-day) is nice, you can’t take this kind of series for granted.
And that’s especially true, because over the next seven weeks, the Cubs will play a lot of games against good teams like the Astros (3x), Braves (6x), and Padres (3x), as well as NL Central teams, like the Pirates (7x), Cardinals (3x), and Brewers (7x). And that’s excluding an East Coast road trip against the Mets and Red Sox.
There’s a lot of tough baseball coming up (the Cubs schedule in the second-half is much lighter).
Of note this series, the Cubs will face three left-handed starting pitchers, which means Patrick Wisdom’s absence from Iowa’s lineup is probably because of a coming call-up. I wouldn’t be surprised if he started all three games. Though I do wonder how they’ll accommodate him, Garrett Cooper, and Alexander Canario. Maybe Ian Happ will get a real day off, so you can have Wisdom and Canario in the corners and Cooper at DH, with Chris Morel at third? We’ll see. It’s possible Canario is sent back down for Wisdom, but personally, I hope not.
It’s also important to remember that Michael Busch is weaker against lefties, so he might be neutralized a bit this weekend. The offense, with Seiya Suzuki out, may have to come from elsewhere.
The one right-hander going for the Marlins in this series is Edward Cabrera, who throws hard and just made a VERY good start against the Giants: 6.0 IP, 5H, 1ER, 1BB, 10K.
Kyle Hendricks is schedule to pitch the finale. And a home game against the Marlins offense (89 wRC+ vs RHP) might be just what the doctor ordered.
Cubs vs Marlins – Pitching Probables:
Game 1: Thursday, April 18 at 6:40 CT at Wrigley Field
Broadcast Info: Marquee Sports Network, 670 The Score
Game 2: Friday, April 19 at 1:20 CT at Wrigley Field
Broadcast Info: Marquee Sports Network, 670 The Score
Game 3: Saturday, April 20 at 1:20 CT at Wrigley Field
Broadcast Info: Marquee Sports Network, 670 The Score
Game 4: Sunday, April 21 at 1:20 CT at Wrigley Field
Broadcast Info: Marquee Sports Network, 670 The Score
