The Padres’ journey this year has been somewhat similar to the Cubs’.
On May 23, they defeated the A’s and were 31-20, in second place in the NL West, just half a game behind the Dodgers.
Since then, they’re 12-19, the worst record in MLB. They have played a bit better recently, winning four straight before dropping the last two of a series in Los Angeles against the Dodgers. But their Sunday loss put them 10 games out of first place.
This is the first time the Padres will visit Wrigley Field since
last year’s Wild Card Series.
For more on the Padres, please visit our SB Nation Padres site Gaslamp Ball.
Fun facts
There will be 75 games to go for the Cubs after this series ends, but they will be done for the year with the Padres, as they already are with two of the four other NL West teams, the Giants and Rockies. They will play three final games at home vs. the Dodgers on Aug. 3-5, then wrap things up at Arizona on Aug. 24-26.
The Cubs lost their season debut vs. the Padres at San Diego on April 27 by a score of 9-7, then won, 8-3 and 5-4, to start their first 10-game winning streak.
They have dominated the Padres at Wrigley Field all time, winning 152 games and losing only 110, for a winning percentage of .580. But they are 4-8 the past four years, in order: 0-4, 2-1, 1-2 and 2-1. The sweep in 2022 was only the Padres’ sixth at Wrigley Field. The Cubs have swept the Padres in 17 series, but in only three of 26 series since 2000: three games each in 2009, 2012 and 2021.
(Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
Probable pitching matchups
Monday: Shōta Imanaga, LHP (5-6, 4.40 ERA, 1.054 WHIP, 4.87 FIP) vs. Griffin Canning, RHP (1-5, 7.38 ERA, 1.664 WHIP, 5.42 FIP)
Tuesday: Matthew Boyd, LHP (2-1, 5.02 ERA, 1.360 WHIP, 2.62 FIP) vs. JP Sears, LHP (1-0, 3.18 ERA, 1.235 WHIP, 4.70 FIP)
Wednesday: Colin Rea, RHP (5-5, 4.80 ERA, 1.411 WHIP, 4.74 FIP) vs. Walker Buehler, RHP (5-5, 3.81 ERA, 1.308 WHIP, 3.43 FIP)
Times & TV channels
Monday: 7:05 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network
Tuesday: 7:05 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network
Wednesday: 1:20 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network
Prediction
The Cubs are on a 12-4 run, which means they’ve won three of four over their last 16 games. That should be good enough to take two of three here.
Up next
The Cubs have Thursday off, then host the St. Louis Cardinals for a three-game series at Wrigley Field beginning Friday afternoon.
