Chicago Cubs @ Arizona Diamondbacks – Series Preview (August 24-26): Overview, Game and Broadcast Info, Starting Pitchers, W2W4
After nine consecutive series wins on the road, the Cubs (75-56) finally came up short in Seattle against the Mariners. They dropped the first two games in painful walk off fashion before scoring 19 times to salvage the final contest. They finish up their road trip with a journey to the desert for the always difficult matchup against the Diamondbacks starting Monday.
Arizona (69-62) is currently just outside of the final Wild Card spot in the National League, sitting two games behind the Padres. They have posted a 20-14 record since the All-Star break to keep themselves in the race.
The D-backs’ offense has been in the middle of the pack, despite playing in a very hitter-friendly environment at Chase Field, with a .719 team OPS ranking 15th in baseball. Corbin Carroll is having a nice season and catcher Gabriel Moreno has been the most consistent bat in the lineup. Veterans Nolan Arenado and Ketel Marte share the home run lead with 21 each.
The Snakes’ pitching staff is in a very similar position to the offense, with a 4.19 team ERA that sits 18th in MLB. Left-hander Eduardo Rodríguez is having a monster year with a 2.61 ERA and a 13-4 record.
Keeping with the theme, Arizona has been around the middle when it comes to the bullpen as well, with a 4.13 ERA that is good for 16th in baseball. They released longtime closer Paul Sewald earlier this month and are going with a committee approach to finish games. Juan Morillo and Jonathan Loaisiga have been two of the standout relievers this season.
The Cubs successfully avoided a potential losing streak by winning on Sunday, but they are going to need to play much better if they want to get back in the division race. While hat might be kind of a longshot at this point, getting home-field advantage in the Wild Card is a very achievable goal. With the Phillies coming on strong, a series victory would really help.
Game Time and Broadcast Info
- Monday, August 24 at 8:40pm CT on Marquee.
- Tuesday, August 25 at 8:40pm CT on Marquee.
- Wednesday, August 26 at 2:40pm CT on Marquee.
Starting Pitchers
| Date | Pitcher | Age | T | ERA | W/L | FIP | K/BB |
| 8/24 | Kevin Gausman | 35 | R | 4.58 | 6-11 | 3.58 | 3.58 |
| Merrill Kelly | 37 | R | 5.37 | 8-11 | 5.80 | 1.47 | |
| 8/25 | Clay Holmes | 33 | R | 2.49 | 5-6 | 3.43 | 2.17 |
| Brandon Pfaadt | 27 | R | 3.39 | 7-1 | 3.99 | 2.88 | |
| 8/26 | Matthew Boyd | 35 | L | 4.15 | 8-2 | 4.68 | 2.54 |
| Eduardo Rodríguez | 33 | L | 2.71 | 13-4 | 3.79 | 2.24 |
What to Watch For
- Holmes has allowed just one run in his last two starts in 12 innings.
- Alex Bregman had three more home runs against the Mariners.
- The Cubs are 41-57 all-time in games played at Chase Field.
- Pete Crow-Armstrong had two more dingers in Seattle and has 33 for the year.
