Chicago Cubs @ Seattle Mariners – Series Preview (August 21-23): Overview, Game and Broadcast Info, Starting Pitchers, W2W4
The Cubs (74-54) bounced back from dropping a series to the Cardinals by taking two of three from the White Sox thanks to a couple of walk-off victories. Craig Counsell and company now make one final road trip to the West Coast starting Friday night in Seattle.
It’s been a disappointing season for the Mariners (60-68) after a trip to the ALCS in 2025. They still have a chance to make the playoffs, but they are going to have to leapfrog several teams in both the division and Wild Card races.
Seattle’s dynamic offense has taken a major step back in 2026 with a .685 team OPS, the third worst in all of baseball. Julio Rodríguez has been decent, just not a superstar, and catcher Cal Raleigh has been a complete disaster with a .569 OPS after posting a .948 last year. Dominic Canzone has done well, with 19 homers and an .831 OPS mainly out of the DH position.
The reason the M’s are still hanging around the edges of the race is the pitching staff, which has a 4.00 ERA that sits just outside of the top 10. The starting rotation has been particularly strong with a 3.89 mark, and Emerson Hancock is emerging as the most effective member. The Cubs will also get to see the debut of Kade Anderson, the top pitching prospect in baseball, who will be on the mound Saturday.
The Mariners’ bullpen has been less reliable with a 4.21 ERA that’s only good for 19th in MLB. Closer Andrés Muñoz has 23 saves, but he is far from automatic despite triple-digit stuff. Eduard Bazardo and Gabe Speier have been two of the most reliable arms in the ‘pen.
If the Cubs want a chance to run down the Brewers in the National League Central, they are going to need a good week. Seven games against Milwaukee in 10 days loom right after this trip. They could legitimately have a shot if they can get within two or three in the standings, but it gets much harder if they are six or seven back after a tough stretch.
Game Time and Broadcast Info
- Friday, August 21 at 9:10pm CT on Marquee.
- Saturday, August 22 at 6:15pm CT on FOX.
- Sunday, August 23 at 3:10pm CT on Marquee.
Starting Pitchers
| Date | Pitcher | Age | T | ERA | W/L | FIP | K/BB |
| 8/21 | Matthew Boyd | 35 | L | 4.02 | 8-2 | 4.64 | 2.62 |
| Emerson Hancock | 27 | R | 3.30 | 7-7 | 3.72 | 3.72 | |
| 8/22 | David Peterson | 30 | L | 5.29 | 7-7 | 4.00 | 2.02 |
| Kade Anderson | 22 | L | |||||
| 8/23 | Shōta Imanaga | 32 | L | 3.77 | 8-9 | 4.54 | 4.38 |
| Bryce Miller | 27 | R | 3.71 | 4-7 | 3.96 | 4.83 |
What to Watch For
- Peterson reenters the rotation after Edward Cabrera went back on the injured list.
- Daniel Palencia is set to return Friday, but will not be the closer.
- Nico Hoerner is hitting .318 in the month of August.
- Alex Bregman is having an even bigger month with a .924 OPS and five homers.
