CHICAGO CUBS NOTES:
No team release available.
SAN DIEGO PADRES NOTES:
Yu Darvish goes 7.0 scoreless and Fernando Tatis Jr. homers twice as Padres blank Cubs 6-0
- The Padres topped the Cubbies 6-0 last night for their 4th shutout win of 2023…starter Yu Darvish tossed 7.0 scoreless innings with just 2 hits allowed with 9 punchouts and 1 walk…it was his 4th win of the season and his 99th career win in Major League Baseball.
- Fernando Tatis Jr. had his 10th-career multi-homer game, homering in the 3rd and 8th…Juan Soto, Trent Grisham, and Ha-Seong Kim also doubled as the Padres went 10-for-32.
Happy Fernando Tatis Jr. day!
- On this date in 2016, A.J. Preller traded right-handed starting pitcher James Shields to the Chicago White Sox for righthanded starting pitcher Erik Johnson and 17-year-old infielder Fernando Tatis Jr.
Weathers gets the ball
- In his last time out on Friday @ Miami, Ryan Weathers made his 2nd start of the most recent 3-city road trip, tossing a career-high 96 pitches in no decision…he allowed 3 runs on 7 hits across 4.0 IP in the Friars’ eventual 9-4 victory.
- In his start on May 24 @ WSH, Weathers converted his 3rd pickoff of the season, which puts him in a tie for most pickoffs in MLB this year with Taylor Clarke, Brent Suter and Julio Urias.
Who’s hot? Who’s not?
- Last night, Fernando Tatis Jr. had his 2nd 4+ RBI effort over his last 3 games (also Thursday @ MIA)…Tatis now has 7 extra-base hits over his last 8 games (1.002 OPS), and his 7 XBH since May 26 tie with Aaron Judge for the 2nd most in MLB behind just Ryan McMahon’s 8.
- Ha-Seong Kim enters today having hit safely in 11 of his last 12 games with a PA, including a career-high, 9-game hitting streak and a current 12-game OB streak (.460 OBP)…during the 12-game stretch, he’s hitting .333 with 3 2B, HR, 3 RBI with 10 BB.
- Trent Grisham went 2-for-3 with a double last night, but he enters today having gone 10-for-71 (.141) over his past 25 games
- Since the start of the Miami series, Jake Cronenworth has gone just 2-for-21 (.095)…his last extra-base hit came on May 28 @ NYY (a home run).
- Last night, Manny Machado snapped an 0-19 skid at the plate (6 G) with his single in the 3rd…he’s now gone 1 for his last 22 (.045).
Xander & Roogey Injuries
- Xander Bogaerts was removed from yesterday’s game in the 8th inning with left wrist soreness…he will likely not be available in today’s game and will continue to be evaluated…Rougned Odor, who suffered a left groin strain while rounding first base on Friday, could potentially avoid an IL stint…he hit in the cages yesterday prior to the game, and he’ll also be day-to-day.
STARTING PITCHER – RYAN WEATHERS 40
Weathers set for 7th start of season
23-year-old Ryan Weathers is slated for his 7th start of the season, his 3rd at home and the 4th of his career vs. CHC…his lone career start/appearance last season came vs. these Cubs, when he allowed 4 runs on 6 hits in 3.2 IP and did not factor into SD’s 19-5 victory…1 of his 2 relief outings this season also came vs. the Cubs in the 7th inning on April 25 @ Wrigley Field, tossing a scoreless 7th inning and retiring all 3 batters he faced on 10 pitches. Weathers tosses career-high 96 pitches in no decision vs. Marlins Weathers made his 2nd start of the most recent 3-city road trip last Friday at MIA, allowing 3 runs on 7 hits across 4.0 IP in SD’s eventual 9-4 victory…he returned to loanDeport Park, the scene of his lone career HR and 4th career hit July 23, 2021.
Weathers ties season and career high with 6.0+ IP @ WSH Wednesday, May 24
Last Wednesday @ WSH, Weathers was tagged with his 3rd consecutive losing decision for the 2nd time in his career (also: July 30-Aug 11, 2021)…he worked a career-high-tying 6.0 IP for the 2nd time in 3 starts and did not allow a long ball in SD’s 5-3 defeat…he was recalled from Triple-A El Paso on Thurs, May 18 with Seth Lugo landing on the 15-day IL (right calf strain)…he was optioned to El Paso on Mon, May 15 after his Sun, May 14 start at LAD.
Weathers tied for most pickoffs in Majors
In his start last Wed @ WSH, he converted his 3rd pickoff of the season, which puts him in a tie for most pickoffs in the Majors in ’23 with Taylor Clarke, Brent Suter and Julio Urias…it was Weathers 12th career pickoff, and it came in big league inning number 128.0, making him the 5th fastest pitcher to reach 12 pickoffs (in terms of IP) among pitchers to debut in Divisional Era (since 1969)….he trailed only Jerry Garvin (81.0), Ryan Feierabend (100.1), Ricky Horton (114.2) and Greg Smith (117.0)…his 9 pickoffs in 2021 led the Majors.
Hard hit percentage in the top 9 percentile
Weathers is getting hit hard only 29/4% of the time, which ranks in the 92nd percentile this season….the MLB average hard hit percentage is 36.0%, while his career avg is 39.6%.
Weathers improves after the first time through
The first time through a lineup in his 8 starts (6 app), opponents are hitting .315 with a .8.19 OPS (61 batters faced)…the 2nd time thru, opponents are hitting .213 with a .597 OPS (54 batters faced), and the third time thru they are hitting .238 with a .762 OPS (24 batters faced).
Weathers’ barrel rate down in ’23
Weathers allowed 25 barrels in his 1,617 pitches thrown in 2021 for a 8.4 barrel %…this season, he’s allowed just 4 barrels in his 581 pitches thrown for a 3.9 barrel % that ranks in the 89th percentile this season.
