Chicago Cubs vs. Arizona Diamondbacks preview, Monday 8/24, 8:40 CT

Monday notes… LEADING THE LEAGUE: Thanks to their 19-2 throttling of the Mariners yesterday, the Cubs now lead all teams in runs scored per game, at 5.22, which is a quarter of a run more than the combined average of 4.47 by all teams. The Brewers are second, at 5.17. The Cubs also moved up to first

What is the story about?

Monday notes…

LEADING THE LEAGUE: Thanks to their 19-2 throttling of the Mariners yesterday, the Cubs now lead all teams in runs scored per game, at 5.22, which is a quarter of a run more than the combined average of 4.47 by all teams. The Brewers are second, at 5.17. The Cubs also moved up to first in on-base percentage plus slugging, at .762, one point ahead of the Dodgers. They had trailed the Dodgers by six points before yesterday. The Cubs remain first in walks per game, with 4.26. They are third in slugging, percentage, at .423, and seventh in batting average, at .250. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)

MONDAY, MONDAY, CAN’T TRUST THAT DAY: The Cubs are 8-6 in games on Monday but 1-4 in Monday games on the road. They lost at Tampa, Philadelphia and San Diego in April, then at Pittsburgh in May, before winning at St. Louis on July 27. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
FIRST THINGS FIRST: The Cubs or their opponent have scored in the first inning of three straight games and seven of eight. The Cubs did it three times; their opponent, four. The team that scored first won all seven games. For the season, the Cubs have scored first in 60 games, winning 44, and they have given up the first run in 71, winning 21. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
TODAY IN CUBS HISTORY: The Cubs homer four times (Michael Barrett, Angel Pagan, Aramis Ramirez and Phil Nevin) and blow out the Phillies 11-2 at Wrigley Field. Future Cub Cole Hamels, who was making his first-ever start at Wrigley, is pounded for nine of the 11 runs in just two innings. It happened 20 years ago today, Thursday, Aug. 24, 2006.

Cubs lineup:

D-backs lineup:

Kevin Gausman, RHP vs. Merrill Kelly, RHP

Kevin Gausman has made three starts as a Cub: One good, one mediocre, one bad. Hopefully the “good” category is added to this evening.

If this April 19 result is to be mirrored, that will happen. On that day Gausman held the D-backs to two runs in six innings. Let’s hope.

Merrill Kelly grew up in the Phoenix area, went to ASU and played his

first six and a half MLB seasons for his hometown team. Then they traded him to the Rangers at the deadline last year, as he was a pending free agent. He made no secret of the fact that he wanted to return to the D-backs, the feeling was mutual, and so he signed a two-year, $40 million deal with a $12 million vesting option for 2028.

The results have not been good. Kelly is having the worst year of his career and this month in four starts: 8.24 ERA, 1.932 WHIP, a really high walk rate (16.3 percent) and low K rate (14.1 percent).

This, theoretically, should be good for Cubs hitters, especially Michael Conforto (5-for-14, three doubles) and Michael Busch (4-for-8, a double, a triple, a home run). Go get ‘em, guys.

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Today’s game is on Marquee Sports Network.

Here is the complete MLB.com live streaming page for today.

MLB.com Gameday

Baseball-reference.com game preview

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Discuss amongst yourselves.