Lot to cover. Last night’s game was, indeed, rained out, so we’ve got a doubleheader today and the series finale tomorrow. Let’s get into it.
Whom:
Cubs vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
Where:
Wrigley Field
When:
First game starts at 1:20 PM Chicago Time. Second game at 6:40 PM Chicago Time. Both games are seven innings.
Weather:
Cloudy. Muggy. Wind blowing in from center/left-center at about ten miles per hour. Temperatures around 50 degrees.
Starting Pitchers:
Kyle Hendricks vs. Clayton Kershaw (Game 1)
Keegan Thompson vs. Trevor Bauer (Game 2)
The Opponent:
Kershaw’s 2.49 FIP, if sustained, would be his best since 2016, when he was finishing up that three-year sub-2.00 FIP stretch. Bauer sports a 3.58 FIP, so don’t get too scared by that 2.48 ERA. That said, his xERA is 2.25, so go ahead and be scared by that.
The Numbers:
I’m seeing the Cubs as +175 underdogs in the first against a -190 line on the Dodgers. The over/under’s at five and leans heavily towards the over. In the second, I’m seeing the Cubs at +180 and the Dodgers at -220, with the over/under at six and favoring the under.
Overall, then, the Cubs have something like a one-in-three chance of winning each game, which translates to a bit better than a 50/50 shot of getting at least one win today.
Cubs News:
Ok. Let’s try to cover this all.
Ian Happ’s got bruised ribs but no concussion and is not on the injured list.
Joc Pederson is returning from the injured list.
Nico Hoerner has a forearm strain and is going to the injured list.
Jake Arrieta’s thumb hasn’t healed, so he’s going to the injured list.
Dan Winkler has tendinitis in his right triceps and is going to the injured list.
Kyle Ryan and Ildemaro Vargas have been called up, with Vargas putting the 40-man roster back at 40 men. The Cubs should be able to add one more guy to the active roster for today only, but there hasn’t been any word on that yet.
The Cubs have announced their starting lineup for the first game, and it’s righty-heavy as they try to deal with Kershaw:
1. Willson Contreras (C)
2. Kris Bryant (RF)
3. Anthony Rizzo (1B)
4. Javier Báez (SS)
5. Matt Duffy (LF)
6. David Bote (3B)
7. Jake Marisnick (CF)
8. Ildemaro Vargas (2B)
9. Kyle Hendricks (P)
Finally, today is Opening Day for the minor leagues this year.
Cubs Thoughts:
It’s good to see Contreras back in the lineup. Was scary over the weekend thinking he might be out for a bit. But injuries taketh away as well, and it’s disappointing to see both Hoerner and Arrieta at least temporarily cut down when both were rather integral to the Cubs’ ability to be competitive.
The word on Thompson is that he’s supposed to be capable of not being a disaster as a major league starter, which would actually be a step up for the Cubs relative to a lot of their starting pitching performances on the year. Still, it’s a daunting day facing two of the best pitchers in the game when the Cubs have struggled so badly to hit good pitching. Getting swept in a doubleheader is usually hard to do. Today, it’s nearly 50% likely. You just really hope to win at least one.
