Chicago Cubs vs. New York Yankees preview, Friday 7/31, 1:20 CT

There’s a chance of rain in Chicago this afternoon, so here’s the local radar for you to keep handy. Today’s roster move: Here Friday notes… HEADING FOR THE TOP: A win today will put the Cubs 16 games above .500 for the first time this year. They finished last season 22 above, at 92-70, with a high

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What is the story about?

There’s a chance of rain in Chicago this afternoon, so here’s the local radar for you to keep handy.

Today’s roster move: Here

Friday notes…

HEADING FOR THE TOP: A win today will put the Cubs 16 games above .500 for the first time this year. They finished last season 22 above, at 92-70, with a high of 24, last at 88-64. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
BACK-TO-BACK: This is the first time of the season that the Cubs will play back-to-back day games on Thursday and Friday. They will do it only once more, Aug. 13-14, at Washington, then at home vs. the Cardinals. They have played a day game on Thursday, then a night game on Friday four times. They won both games of the first three pairs, then lost both of the last, July 9-10, at Baltimore, then at Cincinnati. That is the last time the Cubs dropped back-to-back games. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)

MISCELLANEOUS TEAM MARKS: The Cubs are 10-2-1 in their last 13 series, but 3-2-1 at home while winning seven straight on the road. They are 27-22 in games against opponents that had a winning record going into the game. They are 13-7 at home. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
TODAY IN CUBS HISTORY: Jon Lester’s walkoff bunt capped a Cubs comeback from a 6-0 deficit as they defeated the Mariners 7-6 in 12 innings at Wrigley Field. It happened 10 years ago today, Sunday, July 31, 2016.

Cubs lineup:

Yankees lineup:

Shōta Imanaga, LHP vs. Will Warren, RHP

I’m just going to keep posting these Shōta Imanaga numbers because they continue to amaze me.

First nine starts: 2.32 ERA, 0.902 WHIP, only 5 HR in 54.1 innings Next four starts: 10.80

ERA, 1.523 WHIP, 12 (!) HR in 21.2 innings Next eight starts: 2.00 ERA, 1.133 WHIP, only 5 HR in 45 innings

So that’s two stretches of ace-like performance and a four-start run that screams “DFA candidate.”

I can’t explain that and neither can you.

Last year against the Yankees, July 13 at Yankee Stadium, Imanaga threw seven innings and allowed two hits and one run, striking out six. Imanaga is currently on a 13-inning scoreless streak. Let’s hope that continues.

Will Warren has been a consistent, if unspectacular, starter for the Yankees for the last two seasons. He posted 0.6 bWAR last year and might do the same this year, though his bWAR is currently negative (-0.1).

The Phillies hit him pretty hard in his last start, July 26 — six runs in three innings.

Warren was Imanaga’s opponent in that July 13, 2025 game at Yankee Stadium, which is his only career start vs. the Cubs. He allowed two runs in 5.1 innings, including a home run by Michael Busch.

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

Today’s game is on Marquee Sports Network. It’s also on MLB Network (outside the Cubs and Yankees market territories).

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

MLB.com Gameday

Baseball-reference.com game preview

Please visit our SB Nation Yankees site Pinstripe Alley. If you do go there to interact with Yankees fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.

The 2026 game discussion procedure has been changed, so please take note.

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).

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.

The Live! (formerly “First Pitch”) thread will still post at five minutes to game time. It will also post to the front page. That will be the only live game discussion thread. After the game, the recap and Heroes and Goats will also live on the front page as separate posts.

You will also be able to find the preview, Live! thread, recap and Heroes and Goats in this section link. The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.

Discuss amongst yourselves.