Chicago Cubs vs. Atlanta Braves preview, Wednesday 9/16, 6:40 CT

There is yet again a chance of rain this evening in Chicago (forecast link below) so here’s the local radar for you to keep handy: Wednesday notes… SPLITTING THE DIFFERENCE: This is the 23rd of the Cubs’ 50 series in which they have split the first two games. There was no third game in one series. I

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What is the story about?

There is yet again a chance of rain this evening in Chicago (forecast link below) so here’s the local radar for you to keep handy:

Wednesday notes…

SPLITTING THE DIFFERENCE: This is the 23rd of the Cubs’ 50 series in which they have split the first two games. There was no third game in one series. In the others, the Cubs are 8-13 in third games, including 3-8 at home. They are 3-6 overall and 2-3 at home after they have won, then lost. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)

TOO MANY BLOWN LEADS: The Cubs let a 3-0 lead slip away last night. They have blown 66 leads this season, in 55 different games. They have lost the last two, Sunday and yesterday, making their record 24-31. Their win last Friday had followed nine straight losses. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
THE LONG BALL: The Cubs did not hit a home run last night. They are 13-29 when they have not homered, 71-39 when they have. Since smacking their team-record nine homers against the Brewers on Aug. 31, the Cubs have hit only 12 in 14 games, with a high of two, just twice. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
WALK WATCH: The Cubs drew four walks Tuesday and have 640 for the season, which leads MLB. They need 17 walks over the 10 remaining games to break the franchise record of 656, which was set in 2016.

Cubs lineup:

Braves lineup:

Shōta Imanaga, LHP vs. JR Ritchie, RHP

You never know what you’re going to get with Shōta Imanaga.

Will he be the guy who serves up multiple home runs? Or, can he be the guy who, over his last two starts,

has thrown 12 innings, allowed three runs and just one homer?

Your guess is as good as mine.

Imanaga did hold the Braves to two runs over seven innings May 13 in Atlanta. That day was one of just two times this year that a Cubs starter has thrown a pitch in the eighth inning. In that at-bat he allowed a single and then was replaced by Phil Maton and… it got ugly.

Anyway, Maton’s out for the year and so maybe Shōta can duplicate that effort tonight.

JR Ritchie was the Braves’ first round pick (35th overall) in 2023 out of high school in Washington state. He made 14 appearances (eight starts) for the team between late April and early August and has otherwise spent the year at Triple-A Gwinnett.

One of those eight starts was against the Cubs May 13 in Atlanta. Ritchie allowed one run in 4.1 innings, but threw 87 pitches and walked three. Walks have been his issue at the MLB level this year — 14 percent walk rate, which is pretty high, and it was also pretty high in Triple-A at 10.8 percent. So the Cubs, being generally a patient hitting team, might want to wait him out.

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Here is the weather forecast for the area around Wrigley Field.

Today’s game is on Marquee Sports Network.

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You’ll find the game preview, like this one, posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).

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Discuss amongst yourselves.