Chicago Cubs @ Texas Rangers – Series Preview (May 8-10): Overview, Game and Broadcast Info, Starting Pitchers, W2W4
The Cubs’ (26-12) tear continued with a sweep of the Reds at Wrigley Field that brought their win streak to nine games. The series featured tons of drama with three consecutive walk-off victories, two of them in extra innings. Craig Counsell‘s squad now heads back out on the road, beginning with a three-game set against the Rangers.
Texas (17-20) is slightly under .500, but that is good enough to have them in the race in a very weak American League West. They have lost 8 of 12 after starting the season 13-9, and they have dropped four consecutive series coming into this one.
The Rangers’ offensive issues from 2025 have continued into 2026, with a .689 team OPS that ranks 25th in MLB. Infielder Josh Jung has been the best hitter so far with an .875 OPS through 140 plate appearances. Former Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo is off to a strong start, and former MVP Corey Seager has a team-leading seven home runs.
Texas has had more success with the pitching staff so far, with a 3.85 team ERA that is good enough for ninth in MLB. The Cubs will not avoid ace Jacob deGrom, who is finally healthy and back to pitching well. The back end of the rotation has had some issues that have hurt the overall numbers.
The bullpen is definitely the strongest part of the Rangers’ roster, with a 2.98 ERA that is the lowest in the league right now. Closer Jacob Latz has been lights out, while Jakob Junis and Tyler Alexander have been excellent setup men.
As with most teams, the Cubs are not as good on the road as they are at home. As dominant as they have been at Wrigley Field, breaking even on the road is more than enough to put up a very solid record. If they can keep winning series away from the Friendly Confines, this is going to be a very fun summer.
Game Time and Broadcast Info
- Friday, May 8 at 7:05pm CT on Marquee.
- Saturday, May 9 at 6:05pm CT on Marquee.
- Sunday, May 10 at 1:25pm CT on Marquee.
Starting Pitchers
| Date | Pitcher | Age | T | ERA | W/L | FIP | K/BB |
| 5/8 | Ben Brown | 26 | R | 2.10 | 1-1 | 2.71 | 3.00 |
| Kumar Rocker | 26 | R | 4.71 | 1–3 | 3.98 | 2.40 | |
| 5/9 | Edward Cabrera | 28 | R | 3.27 | 3-0 | 4.01 | 2.64 |
| Jack Leiter | 26 | R | 5.45 | 1-3 | 4.45 | 3.31 | |
| 5/3 | Jameson Taillon | 34 | R | 4.24 | 2-1 | 6.02 | 2.57 |
| Jacob deGrom | 37 | R | 3.11 | 2-2 | 3.35 | 5.88 |
What to Watch For
- Brown is making the spot start in place of the injured Matthew Boyd.
- Michael Busch got on base seven times in his last three games against the Reds.
- Michael Conforto had the pinch-hit walk-off homer on Monday and three hits on Thursday.
