CHICAGO CUBS NOTES:
Cubs vs. Giants
The Cubs and the Giants this weekend play the first half of the six-game season-series … the teams will also play three games at Wrigley Field Sept. 4-6 … Chicago is looking for its first series win at San Francisco since 2013 … since the Giants moved to California in 1958, the Cubs are 347-377 against San Francisco.
THE CITY BY THE BAY: The Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants tonight play the second of three games at Oracle Park, the final leg of a three-series 10- game trip (3-5) that sees the Cubs visit San Diego (2-2), Anaheim (0-3) and San Francisco (June 9-11, 3 games) … Chicago last night won the first game of the seriees against the Giants 3-2, snapping a four-game losing streak.
Marcus Stroman picked up his league-leading 12th quality start of the season, throwing 6.2 innings, surrendering two runs on six hits and four walks with five strikeouts … prior to the third inning last night, Stroman had thrown 18.0 innings without allowing a run.
Tucker Barnhart snapped an 0-19 hitless streak with a single in the seventh that plated the game-winnning RBI … Nico Hoerner, who entered the game in the seventh as a pinch-hitter went 2-for-2 with two RBI.
In a stretch that began June 2, the Cubs play 15 of 21 games on the road (3-5), wrapping up in London April 24-25 “at” St. Louis … eight of those games come against division rivals – six against Pittsburgh (3 at home, 3 on the road) and the two games of the London Series.
After the game on April 21, Chicago was 12-7 and 1.5 games behind the division lead … since, the club is 15-29 and enters today 6.5 games behind the division-leading Brewers, sitting at 34-30.
THROUGH THE FIRST 63: The Cubs have played the first 63 games of the 2023 season … let’s take a look at the first 31 games (15-16) compared to the last 31 (12-20).
2023 AVG OBP SLG R/G BB SO ERA IP ER BB SO
1-31 .270 .341 .436 5.0 108 257 3.56 272.2 108 94 269
32-63 .219 .311 .351 3.5 131 329 4.61 281.1 144 110 258
In the first half, Cubs hitters were hitting .278 (75-for-270) with 28 walks and 106 RBI with RISP, stole 29 bases and stranded 224 runners, compared to a .228 average (57- for-250) with 32 walks and 75 RBI with RISP, 17 stolen bases and 236 left on base in the back end … relievers were pitching to a 3.99 ERA (48 ER/108.1 IP) in games 1-31 and have since posted a 4.89 ERA (61 ER/112.1 IP).
DUCKS ON THE POND: All three of the Cubs runs last night were recorded in bases loaded situations in the seventh, with Nico Hoerner driving in two on a pinch-hit single and Tucker Barnhart pushing the game-winning RBI across two batters later with a single to center … before last night’s success, the Cubs had been 0-for-10 in their previous 10 plate appearances with the bases loaded dating to May 23 … looking further back, prior to last evening’s seventh frame, the team had just one hit in its last 22 at-bats with the bases loaded dating to the eighth inning April 29 … the only hit in that span came on May 19 – a Nick Madrigal single that scored two.
THROUGH 14 STARTS: Marcus Stroman through his first 14 starts this season has posted a 2.42 ERA (23 ER/85.2 IP) … among Cubs starters in the last 15 years, his ERA is the fifth lowest through the hurlers’ first 14 games of a season, and the lowest since 2016 when Jake Arrieta and Jon Lester pitched to 1.74 and 2.06 ERAs, respectively. © Stroman has the second lowest ERA among starters in the N.L. and the eighth-lowest among all major league starters … he is tied with Gerritt Cole of the Yankees for the league-lead in innings pitched (85.2).
DO NOT PASS GO: The Cubs Thursday held the Angels hitless in 10 at-bats with RISP and this season have posted a .242 opponent batting average with RISP (122-for-504), the third-best mark in the N.L. and ninth in the majors … Chicago’s hurlers have allowed a .704 OPS with RISP, the third-lowest mark in the N.L. and eighth in the majors.
Thursday in Anaheim marked the first time Cubs pitching held the opponent hitless in at least 10 at-bats with RISP but dropped the game since a 1-0 setback vs. the Padres, Aug. 17, 2010 … San Diego was 0-for-11 with RISP while the Cubs were 0-for-7.
OBP MAKES THE DIFFERENCE: Ian Happ’s 125-point difference between his .390 OBP and .265 average is fifth-most in the N.L. and seventh-most in the majors … Philadelphia’s Kyle Schwarber leads N.L. hitters with a .328 OBP compared to a .176 average, a 152-point difference.
PITCHES APLENTY: Cubs hitters have seen 9,863 pitches this season, the most in the majors ahead of the Angels (9,863), despite having played fewer games than 16 other teams, and lead the majors in pitches per plate appearance at 4.12.
SUNSHINE AND MERRYWEATHER IN THE FORECAST: Julian Merryweather since April 17 has pitched to a 1.31 ERA (3 ER/20.2 IP) with one win and allowed 16 hits and 10 walks with 31 strikeouts in 21 appearances … in that span, he ranks third in ERA, tied for third in strikeouts per 9.0 innings (13.50) and fourth in strikeout percentage (35.6%) among N.L. pitchers (min. 21 G).
His current streak of seven-straight scoreless outings (6.2 IP) is a career high.
DANSBY DOES DEFENSE: Dansby Swanson’s 2.4 WAR leads National League shortstops, trailing Wander Franco (3.1) and Bo Bichette (2.7) for third in the majors, according to FanGraphs … he ranks third in the majors in assists (159) and his nine outs-above-average are second-most in the majors (Ke’Bryan Hayes, PIT, has 10 … cc: Baseball Savant).
Swanson has gone 46-consecutive games at shortstop since April 20 without committing an error (148 TC) … according to fangraphs, his nine defensive runs saved are tied for the lead among major league shortstops (also Tampa Bay’s Wander Franco).
Starting Pitcher – #28 RHP Kyle Hendricks (0-2, 4.70)
Last Time Out
Kyle received his second loss of the season June 5 vs. San Diego giving up his first homer of the season and marking his first outing allowing four or more earned runs since June 19, 2022 vs. Atlanta where he gave up six … owns a career 3.16 ERA (72 ER/205.1 IP) against interleague opponents … has received one run of support in both of his first two starts of the season.
Date Opp. Result IP H R ER BB SO PC-S Left
6/5 SD L, 0-5 6.0 6 4 4 0 4 84-54 0-4
2023 Splits and Season Notes
W-L ERA G GS IP H R ER BB SO
Home 0-1 3.86 2 2 9.1 12 6 4 5 8
Road 0-1 – – – – – – – – –
AVG vs. LHB: .364 (8-for-22) / AVG vs. RHB: .267 (4-for-15)
Kyle will make his fourth start of the 2023 campaign, his second on the road … in his last start at Oracle Park, June 6, 2021, struck out five and allowed three runs in 6.1 innings in the Cubs’ 4-3 win … his 2.29 career ERA against San Francisco is his lowest vs. any opponent in which he has made at least 10 career starts against. © Became the 12th pitcher in Cubs history to pitch for the Cubs in at least 10 season (last Kerry Wood).
Made his season debut May 25 vs. Mets (3 ER/4.1 IP), his first major league start since July 5, 2022.
Made five rehab starts with Triple-A Iowa, going 2-1 with a 5.75 ERA (13 ER/20.1 IP) … allowed two runs or fewer in each of his last three rehab starts, posting a 1.69 ERA (3 ER/16.0 IP) during those outings.
Began the season on the 15-day injured list, as he rehabbed from a capsular tear in his right shoulder that he suffered in July 2022.
SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS NOTES:
TODAY’S GAME: The Giants look to get back in the win column after last night’s series-opening defeat…this series marks SF’s shortest homestand of the season as the Giants returned from Colorado on Thursday, and leave for St. Louis postgame tomorrow.
HOME COOKING OR TAKEOUT?: The Giants enter play today having won 15 of their last 23 games (.652) dating back to May 15, matching the Marlins for the second-highest winning percentage in the NL in that span, and trailing only the Diamondbacks (15-7, .682)…even with the strong overall numbers, SF has struggled at home of late, going 2-5 this month.
HE’S JUST THE OPENER: RHP John Brebbia will make his sixth start of the season…over the last two seasons, SF is 10-6 when Brebbia opens the game…he has a 1.13 ERA (2er, 16.0ip), 14 strikeouts and a 1.13 WHIP in 16 starts…in his most recent start, Brebbia allowed three base runners in the 1st inning at Colorado, but escaped the jam as SF would go on to win 10-4 on June 6…since 2022, with a minimum of 16.0 innings as a starter, only Dodgers rookie RHP Bobby Miller (1.06 ERA) has a better ERA than Brebbia’s 1.13 mark.
SUPER SWEET 16: Last night marked the 16th-straight game in which the Giants held Chicago to five or fewer runs…that streak is the Giants’ longest vs. the Cubs since 16 straight games by the NY Giants from July 1920 to May 1921.
OLD FRIENDS, NEW MEMORIES: Even with last night’s loss, the Giants have fared well against the Cubs in recent years…since 2021, the Giants are 11-4 against Chicago-NL, outscoring them 77-45 (+32 run differential) while averaging 5.13 runs per game…SF pitchers have a 2.62 ERA.
K-AMILO:RHP Camilo Doval has been one of the best pitchers in baseball since the start of May…the reigning NL Reliever of the Month has a 1.08 ERA (2er, 16.2ip), 26 strikeouts, a 0.66 WHIP and a .121 opposing batting average since May 2 while going a perfect 13-for-13 in save opportunities…overall, Doval’s 16 saves rank fifth in MLB and first in the NL…his .172 XBA is in the top 3% of MLB and his 36.6% strikeout rate is in the top 2% of MLB.
CHI-CRAW-GO: IF Brandon Crawford, who will be playing his 1,600th career game today, has enjoyed playing against the Cubs throughout his career…his .301 average is his second-best against any team, while his .399 on-base percentage is his best…among active players, Crawford’s .399 on-base percentage vs. Chicago-NL is seventh-best.
KEEP THEM GROUNDED: SF pitchers lead MLB with a 49.3% ground ball rate…the next closest team is TBR with a 46.2% rate…in addition to successfully keeping the ball on the ground, Giants pitchers have limited damage-causing fly balls as of late…they entered the month with an MLB-leading 15.5% HR/FB, and have dropped it to 14.1% (third-highest) with just three home runs allowed this month, tied for fewest in MLB…offensively, the Cubs have a 43.5% ground ball rate (11th), a 35.4% fly ball rate (tied for 24th) and a 12.8% HR/FB (12th)
