Chicago Cubs vs San Diego Padres – Series Preview (April 4-6): Overview, Game and Broadcast Info, Starting Pitchers, W2W4
The Cubs (5-4) finished their season-opening road trip with an emphatic three-game sweep of the Athletics at their temporary digs in Sacramento. Chicago piled up an impressive 35 runs during the whitewash to move a game above .500 and now they return to Wrigley Field for their home opener against the Padres starting Friday.
San Diego has come out of the gate flying with a perfect 7-0 start, putting them neck-and-neck with the mighty Dodgers in a stacked National League West division. They have swept a pair of playoff teams, the Braves and Guardians, at Petco Park by posting three shutouts and allowing a grand total of 11 runs.
With sparkling numbers like those, it’s no surprise the Pads pitching staff leads the league with a 1.57 team ERA. Dylan Cease and Michael King are very talented pieces at the top of the rotation, even with former Cub Yu Darvish currently on the injured list. The bullpen is stocked with hard-throwers, especially closer Robert Suárez and his triple-digit fastball.
San Diego had a dynamic offense in 2024 with sluggers like Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. In the middle of the order. Newly-extended center fielder Jackson Merrill won Rookie of the Year and combined speed and power to become a key part of manager Mike Shildt’s squad.
The Padres are going to be a much more difficult opponent for the Cubs than the A’s were. Returning to the Friendly Confines will certainly help even the scales a bit, but this challenge is part of the storm of difficult opponents they will have to weather into May.
No matter who the North Siders face, it’s always a special day when they take the field at Wrigley for the first time of the spring. The air is full of possibilities and there is nothing like the first roar of a new season. Let’s get the party started on the corner of Clark and Addison.
Game Time and Broadcast Info
- Friday, April 4 at 1:20pm CT on Marquee.
- Saturday, April 5 at 1:20pm CT on Marquee.
- Sunday, April 6 at 1:20pm CT on Marquee.
Starting Pitchers
| Date | Pitcher | Age | T | ERA | W/L | FIP | K/BB |
| 4/4 | Shōta Imanaga | 31 | L | 2.91 | 15-3 | 3.72 | 6.21 |
| Randy Vásquez | 26 | R | 0.00 | 0-0 | 3.85 | 0.75 | |
| 4/5 | Matthew Boyd | 34 | L | 2.72 | 2-2 | 3.29 | 3.54 |
| Nick Pivetta | 32 | R | 0.00 | 1–0 | 1.71 | ||
| 4/6 | Ben Brown | 25 | R | 3.58 | 1-3 | 3.11 | 3.37 |
| Kyle Hart | 32 | L | 3.60 | 1–0 | 7.05 | 4.00 |
What to Watch For
- Kyle Tucker got on base 10 times in Sacramento, including five extra-base hits.
- Seiya Suzuki has nine hits and three walks it his last four games, four of which went for homers.
- Imanaga was 7-2 with a 2.72 ERA in 16 home starts for the Cubs in 2024.
- Chicago was 44-37 at Wrigley last season.
