Chicago Cubs vs Atlanta Braves – Series Preview (September 14-16): Overview, Game and Broadcast Info, Starting Pitchers, W2W4
The Cubs (83-67) took two of three from the Pirates this weekend to stabilize things after getting swept by the Brewers in Milwaukee. After an offensive explosion on Friday, they split a pair of one-run decisions. Chicago will try to improve their position in the standings when a very good Braves team comes to Wrigley starting Monday night.
The Braves (88-62) remain atop the National League East and are battling with the Dodgers for a bye in the first round of the playoffs. They just won an important series against the second-place Phillies, but they are just 5-5 in their last 10.
Atlanta’s lineup has plenty of slugging with 188 homers in 2026. That being said, they have had more trouble getting on base and their .721 team OPS is just the 12th best in baseball. The biggest bat belongs to ironman first baseman Matt Olson, who has 39 homers and an .831 OPS while playing in every game this season. Center fielder Michael Harris II and catcher Drake Baldwin are two other difficult outs in the lineup.
Atlanta really excels when it comes to the pitching staff, which has a 3.59 team ERA that ranks fourth in MLB. The Cubs dodge a major bullet by avoiding ace Chris Sale, who is likely to be a Cy Young finalist with his 2.18 ERA and 190 strikeouts. They will not miss left-hander Martín Pérez, who has had a very nice season with a 3.08 ERA.
The Braves’ bullpen has also done great work with a 3.41 ERA, which is third in the league. Raisel Iglesias has been reliable in the closer position with 32 saves and a 2.87 ERA. Dylan Dodd and Dylan Lee are two of the better setup men in leverage roles.
This is going to be a challenge for the Cubs against one of the best teams in baseball. They hung in there with the Brewers but couldn’t get over the hump. Maybe being at the Friendly Confines will give them an extra boost to try and steal the series.
Game Time and Broadcast Info
- Monday, September 14 at 6:40pm CT on MLBN and Marquee.
- Tuesday, September 15 at 6:40pm CT on TBS and Marquee.
- Wednesday, September 16 at 6:40pm CT on Marquee.
Starting Pitchers
| Date | Pitcher | Age | T | ERA | W/L | FIP | K/BB |
| 9/14 | David Peterson | 31 | L | 5.28 | 7-8 | 4.15 | 1.98 |
| Reynaldo López | 32 | R | 4.13 | 4-4 | 4.41 | 2.22 | |
| 9/15 | Kevin Gausman | 35 | R | 4.60 | 9-12 | 3.77 | 3.22 |
| Martín Pérez | 35 | L | 3.08 | 8-9 | 4.24 | 1.77 | |
| 9/16 | Shōta Imanaga | 33 | L | 3.88 | 10-10 | 4.20 | 4.23 |
| AJ Smith-Shawver | 23 | R | 7.71 | 0-2 | 5.86 | 1.38 |
What to Watch For
- Michael Busch had five hits against the Pirates.
- Imanaga has made two quality starts in a row after struggling for a month.
- The Braves took two of three from the Cubs when they played in Atlanta in May.
- Pete Crow-Armstrong had just a single in 12 at-bats against Pittsburgh.
