Chicago Cubs vs New York Mets – Series Preview (April 17-19): Overview, Game and Broadcast Info, Starting Pitchers, W2W4
The Cubs (9-9) bounced back from a blowout loss on Monday to win the next two games and take the series from the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. The offense scored a total of 21 runs in those two victories, and now they return to Wrigley Field for a three-game set with the Mets starting Friday afternoon.
New York (7-12) started out 7-4 in 2026, but now they have racked up eight consecutive losses to fall into last place in the National League East. Slugging first baseman Pete Alonso left for Baltimore in free agency, and infielder Bo Bichette was brought in from Toronto in an attempt to pick up the slack.
The early returns in the Big Apple have not been great as Bichette, Francisco Lindor, and the rest of the lineup have done very little. The problems have been exacerbated by a calf injury to star outfielder Juan Soto that currently has him on the injured list. As a result, the Mets have a .617 team OPS that is second-worst in baseball.
New York solidified their starting rotation with an offseason trade for Brewers ace Freddy Peralta. Overall, the pitching staff has a team ERA of 3.83, which is the 10th-best in MLB. Closer Devin Williams has had some issues, but the bullpen has been pretty solid so far.
Despite the current slump, the Mets are still a dangerous team that should not be taken lightly. Craig Counsell‘s squad is really starting to heat up offensively, and they can go on a tear if that trend continues.
Game Time and Broadcast Info
- Friday, April 17 at 1:20pm CT on Marquee.
- Saturday, April 18 at 1:20pm CT on Marquee.
- Sunday, April 19 at 1:20pm CT on Marquee.
Starting Pitchers
| Date | Pitcher | Age | T | ERA | W/L | FIP | K/BB |
| 4/17 | Edward Cabrera | 28 | R | 1.62 | 1-0 | 3.22 | 1.44 |
| Kodai Senga | 33 | R | 7.07 | 0–2 | 3.80 | 2.71 | |
| 4/18 | Jameson Taillon | 34 | R | 4.86 | 0-1 | 6.82 | 2.83 |
| Freddy Peralta | 29 | R | 3.86 | 1-1 | 3.92 | 3.13 | |
| 4/19 | Javier Assad | 28 | R | 8.10 | 1-1 | 5.76 | 1.50 |
| David Peterson | 30 | L | 6.41 | 0-3 | 3.36 | 2.10 |
What to Watch For
- Nico Hoerner has seven hits and eight RBI in his last four games.
- Seiya Suzuki is on a three-game hitting streak after a slow start off the injured list.
- Alex Bregman has hits in six consecutive games.
- Assad got lit up for nine runs in Philadelphia Monday night.
