LOS ANGELES DODGERS NOTES:
BLANK SPACE: The Dodgers were blanked 13-0 on Friday afternoon as Drew Smyly tossed 7.2 innings of near perfect baseball to beat the Dodgers. The southpaw carried a perfect game into the eighth inning, but a broken bat infield single spoiled his chances of becoming the 24th pitcher in Major League Baseball history to throw a perfect game. He finished the game with nine strikeouts, allowing one hit and recording his second win of the year. With the loss, the Dodgers dropped to 2-3 on the season against the Cubs and had their four-game winning streak at Wrigley Field snapped. The Dodgers continue their road trip (1-1) with game three of their four game set this afternoon at 1:20 p.m. Following the matinee tomorrow afternoon, the Dodgers will enjoy an off-day in Pittsburgh before meeting up with the Buccos for three games beginning on Tuesday night.
According to baseball reference, this was the 20th time the Dodgers have been shutout by 13+ runs since 1901. It was the first time they have been blanked by this wide of a margin since losing to the Astros 14-0 on August 4, 2018.
The Dodgers dropped to 0-5 in day games this season and are one of two teams to not have a day game win this season. The only other team without a day game win is the Oakland Athletics as they are 0-9 in day games. Last season, the Dodgers went 31-14 in day games, recording a .689 winning percentage, which was second in the Majors behind the Houston Astros, who went 42-13 (.764).
SO YESTERDAY: The Dodger offense was held to three base runners on Friday afternoon and Luke Williams was the only player to reach scoring position in the ninth inning. David Peralta recorded the first hit of the game in the top of the eighth inning as he hit a ball 36.2 mph that landed between the pitcher and catcher for an infield hit. The pitching staff did not fair any better as they were roughed up for 13 runs on 17 hits. Julio UrÃas suffered his second straight loss, as he allowed five runs in 3.1 innings, striking out four and allowing three homers. The southpaw is now 0-2 on the season against the Cubs, allowing eight runs on 9.0 innings with five homers. It was his shortest outing of the season and the shortest since going 2.0 innings against the Cubs on July 10, 2022, In his career, he has allowed 5+ earned runs to the Cubs three times.
The Dodgers dropped to 2-3 on the season against the Cubs and are now 17-16 at Wrigley Field since 2013. In the five games this season, the Cubs have outhomered the Dodgers 13-5 and have outscored Los Angeles, 27-12.
GET OUT MAN: Rookie James Outman had his mini four-game hitting streak snapped on Friday, going 0-for-3. During the streak, he hit .375 (6-for-16) with three extra-base hits and five RBI. He currently leads all rookies in homers (5), RBI (15), slugging (.615), OPS (.997), triples (3), extra-base hits (9), total bases (40) and is tied for first in runs (12) with Gunner Henderson, Corbin Carroll and Josh Jung.
EVERYDAY I’M HUSTLIN’: J.D. Martinez went 0-for-3 yesterday, but still leads the team with 13 extra-base hits, and he is first on the team in doubles (8), second in triples (2), and tied for third in homers (3). He is currently second in the National League in extra-base hits, behind Patrick Wisdom (14) and is tied for third with former teammate Rafael Devers (13) and behind Matt Chapman (14) and Wisdom for the Major League lead. In 2018, he recorded a career-best 83 extra-base hits.
LONG BALLS: The Dodgers failed to homer on Friday afternoon but have homered in 17 of their first 21 games and are second in the Majors with 36 homers, trailing only the Tampa Bay Rays (42). The Dodgers are third in the League with 17 games with at least one homer, behind the New York Yankees (18) and the Tampa Rays (21), who have homered in every game this season.
Max Muncy has recorded his seven homers in his last 11 games and leads the team with eight homers and he is currently third in the Major Leagues, behind Patrick Wisdom (9) and Pete Alonso (10) for the Major League lead in round trippers. In his last 11 games, he is slashing .367/.525/1.067 with seven homers, 14 RBI and 10 walks against 10 strikeouts.
TODAY’S STARTER at CUBS: RHP DUSTIN MAY (1-1, 3.00 ERA in 4 GS)
2023 NOTES:
• Notched his first win of the year on April 6 against Arizona, firing 6.0 innings of one-run ball with five strikeouts (season-high) on 84
pitches…was his first victory since Sept. 16, 2022 at SF
• Ranks second in the National League in WHIP at 0.92 and fifth in the NL in opponents’ batting average at .179
• Texas native took the mound in five games (four starts) during Cactus League play, posting a 5-4 record with 2.95 ERA (6 ER/18.1 IP) and 20 strikeouts against just seven walks
• Pitched in Spring Training for the first time since 2021…missed 2022 while recovering from Tommy John surgery
vs. CUB:
• Will pitch against Chicago for the first time in his career
CHICAGO CUBS NOTES:
Cubs vs. Dodgers
The Cubs and the Dodgers face off seven times this season, with all of the games coming in a 10-day span … the clubs met last weekend for a three-game set in Los Angeles, with the Cubs taking two of three … the Dodgers have won seven of the last 10 season series.
RARE AIR IN BIG WIN: Drew Smyly was perfect through seven innings, Nico Hoerner
had four hits and Chicago belted four home runs as the Cubs yesterday defeated the
Dodgers 13-0, limiting Los Angeles to one hit (David Peralta infield single to start the
eighth) and two ninth-inning walks … Chicago has won 11 of its last 15 games dating to
April 4 entering today’s third contests of a four-game set against the Dodgers.
Smyly went 7.2 shutout innings, allowing the one hit, walking none and striking out 10 … he’s just the second Cub to go at least 7.2 innings, allowing no more than one hit while issuing no walks and striking out at least 10, joining Kerry Wood and his legendary 20-strikeout complete game shutout vs. Houston May 6, 1998 (9.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 20 SO).
Smyly is the first Cub to carry a perfect game through seven innings since Jose Guzman did so vs. Atlanta on April 6, 1993 (he walked Terry Pendelton to start the eighth) … prior to Guzman, Milt Pappas carried a perfect game for 8.2 innings on Sept. 2, 1972 vs. San Diego (he walked Larry Stahl with two outs in the ninth, but did record the no-hitter).
FUN WITH 10 RUNS: Including yesterday’s 13 runs scored, the Cubs have recorded at least one 10-run game in five of their first seven series this season … the last time the franchise turned that trick was in 1938, also recording 10-run games in five of their first seven series.
Chicago has scored at least 10 runs in six of their first 19 games this season … just once has the club posted six 10-run efforts in fewer games … back in 1885, Chicago posted its sixth such game on May 26 in the club’s 17th contest of the season … all 17 games were on the road as the team was preparing to move into a new park for the 1885 season.
YOU GO, NICO!: Nico Hoerner in the season’s early going is hitting .365 (31-for-85) with 17 runs scored, five doubles, one homer, nine RBI and nine stolen bases, having reached base safely in 18 of 19 games played … his nine stolen bases are tied for the major league lead and his 31 hits are tied for second while his 17 runs scored are tied for third in the N.L. and his .365 average is fourth.
Hoerner has reached base safely in a career-high 17-straight games since April 2, tied for the third-longest active streak in the majors.
Hoerner has gone 38-straight plate appearances without a strikeout, the longest active streak in the majors (Washington’s Keibert Ruiz is second, 29).
ABOUT THE BATS: Cubs hitters lead the majors with a .290 average (195-for-672) while the team’s 6.00 runs per game rank third behind only Tampa Bay (7.05) and Texas (6.11).
Ian Happ’s nine doubles this season rank are tied for the N.L. lead with Philadelphia’s Nick Castellanos … his 11 extra-base hits are tied for seventh.
Dansby Swanson ranks fourth in the N.L. with a .446 OBP while his 14 walks drawn are tied for sixth and his .333 average ranks eighth.
Cody Bellinger in his last 15 games since April 4 is hitting .362 (21-for-58) with 16 runs scored, four doubles, four homers, 10 RBI and six walks, contributing to a .433 on-base percentage and .638 slugging mark.
ABOUT THE ARMS: Cubs pitching has posted a 3.22 ERA (61 ER/170.2 IP) this season, the second-best mark in the N.L. and fifth in the majors … the starting rotation has a 2.82 ERA (32 ER/102.0 IP), the third-best mark in baseball behind Tampa Bay (2.55) and Minnesota (2.61).
Cubs relievers have pitched to a 3.80 ERA (29 ER/68.2 IP) while averaging 11.27 strikeouts per 9.0 innings, the top mark in the majors (White Sox are second with an 11.00 rate) … all told the bullpen’s 86 strikeouts are tied for fourth-most in the majors behind the Yankees (91), Rockies (87) and Cardinals (87).
CURRENT EVENTS: Today is the third of a four-game set against the Dodgers … following an off day Monday, this seven-game, eight-day ‘stand continues with three games against the Padres.
Chicago has won four-consecutive series (2-1 vs. TEX, 2-1 vs. SEA, 2-1 @ LAD, 3-0 vs. OAK) and aims to win five-straight series (of two or more games) for the first time since Aug. 5-21, 2022 (2-1 vs. MIA, 2-1 vs. WSH, 2-1 @ CIN, 2-1 @ WSH, 2-1 vs. MIA).
NOBODY BEATS THE WIZ: Patrick Wisdom’s nine homers are second-most in the majors (Pete Alonso, 10) while his .743 slugging mark leads the N.L. while his 1.072 OPS is second (Brandon Marsh, 1.123) … Wisdom’s 18 RBI are tied for third in the N.L. © Wisdom’s nine homers, including his three-run shot yesterday, have come within the team’s first 19 games of the season … the only Cubs to reach nine homers in fewer team games are Lee Walls in 1958 (first 14 team games) and Hank Sauer in 1954 (first 15 team games).
RISPY BUSINESS: After hitting .143 (5-for-35) with runners in scoring position in their first four games against the Dodgers, the Cubs yesterday were 6-for-11 in that situation … Chicago’s .326 season average (59-for-181) with RISP leads the N.L. and is fourth in baseball behind Texas (.359), Tampa Bay (.341) and Minnesota (.328).
TWO STRIKES? SO WHAT?: The Cubs lead the majors with a .230 average (85-for369), a .297 on-base percentage and a .374 slugging percentage when batting with two strikes in the count.
Patrick Wisdom’s six home runs, 11 RBI and 10 extra-base hits with two strikes on him lead the majors … his 12 two-strike hits are tied for fourth-most in the majors.
Starting Pitcher – #19 RHP Hayden Wesneski (1-0, 6.23)
Last Time Out
Hayden earned his first win of the season April 17 in Oakland … tossed a career high-tying 7.0 innings (also Sept. 17, 2022 vs. Colorado) … marked the fifth time in seven career starts that he has gone at least 5.0 innings while allowing one earned run or fewer … struck out seven and walked none for the second time in his career (also Sept. 17, 2022 vs. Colorado).
Date Opp. Result IP H R ER BB SO PC-S Left
4/17 @OAK W, 10-1 7.0 5 1 1 0 7 90-66 10-1
2023 Splits and Season Notes
W-L ERA G GS IP H R ER BB SO
Home 0-0 33.75 1 1 1.1 6 7 5 4 0
Road 1-0 3.09 2 2 11.2 11 4 4 2 11
AVG vs. LHB: .429 (9-for-21) / AVG vs. RHB: .250 (8-for-32)
Hayden will make his fourth start of the 2023 campaign tonight, his second at home … has posted a career 4.09 ERA (10 ER/22.0 IP) at Wrigley Field, compared to a 2.63 ERA (7 ER/24.0 IP) on the road.
Earned his first win of the season, tossing a career high-tying 7.0 innings, allowing one run while striking out seven April 17 at Oakland.
Went 3-1 with a 2.12 ERA (4 ER/17.0 IP) and 22 strikeouts in five Cactus League starts … did not allow a run in his first 11.2 IP of the spring before surrendering his first runs in his fourth start of Spring Training.
