Today’s roster move: Here
Saturday notes:
- MILESTONES INCOMING: The Cubs’ next stolen base will be their 150th, a number they have reached in 21 previous seasons, but only three of them since 1923. The most recent was 1990, with 151. The Cubs are three home runs from hitting 200, a number they have reached in seven previous seasons, including a team-record 256 in 2019 and 2023 in 2017. They never have stolen at least 150 bases and hit at least 200 homers in the same season. The most homers they hit in a season with 150 or more steals was 150, in 1985, when they swiped 182 bases. The most bases they stole in a season with 200 or more homers were 109, in 1987, when they hit 209 homers. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
- DOUBLE FIGURES: The Cubs made 12 hits yesterday, after having made 11 in the series finale at Atlanta. They had not had back-to-back games with double-digit hits since June 24-25, when they made 13, then 12, while losing, 8-7, and winning, 8-0, at St. Louis. Yesterday’s game was their 67th since then. The Cubs had back-to-back games with at least 10 hits three times between April 7 and May 2, then reached 10 hits in three straight games May 18-20 and 23-25. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
- HAPP-ENINGS: Ian Happ, last 23 games since Aug. 17: .325/.434/.602 (27-for-83) with eight doubles, five home runs, 13 RBI, 16 walks and 17 runs scored.
- MAGIC NUMBERS: The Cubs’ magic number to clinch a postseason spot is 7 and to clinch the top wild-card spot over the Padres, it’s 11. The Cubs and Padres split their season series, so the tiebreaker between them is the record within the team’s division. The Padres are 27-19 vs. NL West teams with six games remaining (three vs. Rockies, three vs. D-backs, all at home). The Cubs are 24-18 vs. NL Central teams with 10 games remaining (three vs. Pirates and four vs. Reds on the road, three vs. Cardinals at home). If the teams are still tied after that, the next tiebreaker is the team’s record against other teams in their own league.
Cubs lineup:
Rays lineup:
Colin Rea, RHP vs. Drew Rasmussen, RHP
Colin Rea keeps doing his fifth-starter thing. Every time you think he’s done, he puts together another good outing, as he did last Sunday vs. the Nationals after Drew Pomeranz opened — 5.1 innings, one run, six strikeouts.
Rea threw six shutout innings vs. the Rays May 1, 2024 in Milwaukee, but a lot of those Rays aren’t
on the team anymore. In fact, the current Rays player who’s faced him most — and it’s not a lot — is former Cub Christopher Morel (2-for-6).
Speaking of former Brewers, Drew Rasmussen is one. He went to the Rays in the deal that brought Willy Adames to Milwaukee, which turned out to be a decent trade for both teams.
Rasmussen has thrown very well for the Rays in 28 starts this year, with a 2.64 ERA and 0.981 WHIP. He doesn’t walk guys — just 31 of 537 batters faced this year — so Cubs hitters should look to put the ball in play.
No Cubs hitter has faced him more than five times.
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Today’s game is on Marquee Sports Network. You can find out if Marquee is available via a provider in your area here.
Here is the complete MLB.com live streaming page for today.
Baseball-reference.com game preview
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The 2025 Game Thread procedure will be identical to last year’s.
You’ll find the game preview posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).
At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game, including the First Pitch Thread and the overflow thread, as well as the recap when it’s published. The recap will also live on the front page as a separate post.
You will also be able to find the preview, First Pitch Thread and the overflow thread in the box marked “Chicago Cubs Game Threads” at the bottom of the front page (you can also find them in this section link). The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.
The First Pitch thread will post at five minutes before game time, then an overflow thread at 90 minutes after the scheduled game time.
Discuss amongst yourselves.
