CHICAGO CUBS NOTES:
Cubs vs. Mets
The Cubs and Mets play six games spanning two series this season … the teams first met at Wrigley Field May 23-25, which saw the Cubs take two of three games … Chicago has won the last five season series against the Mets dating to 2017 and, entering this series, gone 11-3 at Citi Field since 2018, including sweeps in 2018 (4 G), 2019 (3 G) and 2022 (3 G).
NEW YORK STATE OF MIND: The Chicago Cubs tonight play the Mets for the second contest of a six-game, seven-day road trip at New York (0-1) and Toronto (three games starting Friday) … Chicago last night lost the first game of the three-game series 11-2 after a two hour, nine minute rain delay in the top of the seventh … Caleb Kilian made his first career relief appearnce, throwing 1.0 inning and inducing a double play and ground ball to strand two of three inherited runners … Cody Bellinger continued his hot streak, going 3-for-3 with two RBI.
The Cubs are 15-5 in their last 20 games since July 18 … following play on July 20, the Cubs sat 7.0-games out of a wild-card spot and 8.5-games back of the division lead … the club enters today 1.0 game back of a wild card spot and 2.5-games back of division-leading Milwaukee.
In a stretch that started yesteday (0-1), Chicago will play 13 of 18 contests on the road.
Today marks the 15th (10-4) of 16-straight gamedays through August 9.
The Cubs +66 run differential ranks third in the N.L. behind the Braves (+162) and the Dodgers (+119).
WORKING MEN: While the Cubs bullpen ranks third in the majors since the All-Star break with 94.2 innings of work, on the season the Cubs have just one pitcher to have made 50 appearances – Michael Fulmer (49 relief outings and one spot start) … seven clubs have multiple pitchers who have reached 50 outings, including Cincinnati and Houston, who have four pitchers apiece to have already reached or eclipse 50 games pitched.
TAILLON: Jameson Taillon in five starts since July 7 is 4-0 with a 2.08 ERA (7 ER/30.1 IP) … he is one of three starters in the majors with four wins in that span (also teammate Justin Steele, 4-1, and Texas’ Andrew Heaney, 4-1) … he ranks eighth in ERA during the stretch.
His 2.O8 ERA since July 7 is his lowest ERA over a span of five starts since May 11-June 2, 2022 (1.89 ERA).
DEFENSIVE PROWESS: According to FanGraphs, Chicago’s 31 defensive runs saved are tied for third-most in the majors and tied for second in the N.L. … Dansby Swanson leads the N.L. and ranks second in the majors among shortstops with 12 defensive runs saved (Tampa Bay’s Wander Franco paces the majors with 15).
Ian Happ’s eight outfield assists, tied for his career high, rank tied for eighth in the major leagues and second behind Toronto’s Dalton Varsho (9) among left fielders.
FUN WITH FULMER: Since May 28, Michael Fulmer has pitched to a 1.20 ERA (4 ER/30.0) with a 3-1 record, 32 strikeouts and a 1.07 WHIP in 27 appearances (one start) … in his last three outings combined (3.2 IP) he has struck out seven batters, surrendered just one hit and not allowed any free passes … among pitchers with at least 25 appearances since May 28, Fulmer’s 1.20 ERA ranks third and his .173 opponent average ranks ninth.
SINCE THE BREAK…: Entering today, in 24 games since the All-Star break, Chicago has scored 166 runs, the most in the majors, leading the second-place Dodgers by 23 runs (143) … the Cubs’ .294 team average (245-for-833) since the break is the highest in the majors by 15 points (Dodgers – .279), while the club’s .885 OPS during that span also leads the majors.
Chicago’s 16-8 record (.667 win %) since the break is third in the majors.
Stats Perform noted that the Cubs’ 150 runs in the first 20 games after the break after Thursday’s game is tied for the second-most since the All-Star break first took place in 1933, trailing the California Angels (161 in 1995).
SCORE EARLY, SCORE OFTEN: Since the All-Star break, the Cubs lead the majors with 63 runs scored in innings one through three (the Reds are second with 51) and are tied for fifth in first inning runs scored (17).
THE ‘PEN IS BULLISH: The Cubs bullpen has thrown at least 4.0 innings in four of the team’s last six games … the ‘pen has pitched to a 2.86 ERA (18 ER/56.2 IP) in the last 14 games dating to July 25, compared to a 5.11 ERA in the previous 17 games … the relievers’ 2.86 ERA since July 25 ranks fourth in the N.L. and seventh in the majors in that span and their 56.2 innings pitched are the most in baseball.
In that same time frame, Chicago’s bullpen has 57 strikeouts which ranks tied for fourth in the majors and its 1.01 WHIP ranks third.
YOU BETTER BELLI-EVE IT: Cody Bellinger, July’s N.L. Player of the Month, this season is batting .332 (103-for-310) with 18 doubles, one triple, 16 homers, 55 RBI and 17 stolen bases … entering play today, Bellinger, Atlanta’s Ronald Acuña Jr. and Los Angeles’ Freddie Freeman are the only three major leaguers to have at least a .330 average, 15 home runs and 15 stolen bases.
In 44 games since being reinstated from the injured list on June 15 (left knee contusion), Bellinger is hitting .386 (64-for-166) with nine doubles, nine homers, 35 RBI, a .424 OBP and a .602 slugging percentage.
THE CANDY MAN CAN: Jeimer Candelario hit safely in five of his first seven games with the Cubs this season, going 12-for-25 (.480) with four doubles, one home run, eight runs scored, a .552 OBP and a 1.312 OPS.
Per ESPN, Candelario became the first player in the major leagues since at least 1900 to have at least eight hits in the first two games (8-for-9/.889) with a team after playing for a different organization earlier in the season.
Starting Pitcher – #50 RHP Jameson Taillon (6-6, 5.36)
Last Time Out
Jameson on Aug. 3 vs. Cincinnati earned his sixth win of the season and fourth-+straight decision since July 7 … is 4-0 with a 2.08 ERA (7 ER/30.1 IP) in his last five starts since July 7 … has allowed three runs or fewer in five-straight starts … surrendered a home run on the first pitch of the game for the first time in his career … has walked two or fewer in 16 of his 19 outings this season.
Date Opp. Result IP H R ER BB SO PC-S Left
8/3 CIN W, 5-3 5.0 7 2 2 2 5 92-62 4-2, 1 on
2023 Splits and Season Notes
W-L ERA G GS IP H R ER BB SO
Home 3-4 6.17 11 11 54.0 73 40 37 14 53
Road 3-2 4.28 8 8 40.0 29 21 19 16 29
AVG vs. LHB: .285 (53-for-186) / AVG vs. RHB: .266 (49-for-184)
Jameson will make his 20th start of the season, his ninth on the road today … is 4-0 with a 2.08 ERA (7 ER/30.1 IP) in his last five starts since July 7, the fifth-lowest ERA in the N.L. and eighth-lowest in the majors during that span … has allowed three or fewer runs in five-straight starts for the first time since Aug. 8-Sept. 10, 2022 (seven-straight) … has pitched to a 6.17 ERA (37 ER/54.0 IP) in 11 starts at Wrigley Field, compared to a 4.76 ERA (18 ER/34.0 IP) in eight starts on the road … has walked 30 batters, tied for the sixth-lowest mark among N.L. starters (min. 19 GS).
Tossed 8.0, one-hit, scoreless innings in a 3-0 win July 7 at Yankee Stadium … was the first pitcher with at least 8.0 innings and one or fewer hits allowed on the road at Yankee Stadium since Baltimore’s Daniel Cabrera did so in 2006 … was also the first former Yankee to go a least 8.0 frames and allow no more than one hit in a game at Yankee Stadium (old or new).
Made his first quality start as a Cub June 13 vs. Pittsburgh (3 ER/6.0 IP).
Earned his first win as a Cub June 2 in San Diego (1 ER/5.2 IP) … had previously gone eight-straight starts without a win, the third time in his career that he had failed to win in at least eight-straight starts in the same season (last 9 G, April 14-May 27, 2018).
Walked two or fewer batters in 16-straight starts from Aug. 14, 2022-May 9, 2023 … at the time, marked the fifth-longest active streak among major league starting pitchers.
Began his stint on the 15-day injured list April 20 (retroactive to April 17) with a left groin strain … was activated on May 4.
Went 2-0 with a 3.93 ERA (8 ER/18.1 IP) with 23 strikeouts, compared to no walks, during Spring Training … was the only pitcher in the Cactus League with at least 10.0 IP to not walk a batter.
NEW YORK METS NOTES:
METSCELLANEOUS: The Mets defeated the Cubs, 11-2, on Monday night…The victory snapped a six-game losing streak…The Mets continue a 10-day, 10-game homestand (1-0) against the Cubs (1-0), Braves (four games) and Pirates (three games).
HIGH FIVE: Pete Alonso crushed his 32nd and 33rd home runs of the season last night…He now has 179 career home runs, which is the fourth-most through a player’s first five seasons in the majors…He is behind only Ralph Kiner (215), Albert Pujols (201) and Eddie Matthews (190)…Courtesy of ESPN Stats & Info.
PICK SIX: Alonso tied a career-high with six RBI (also: August 15, 2019 at Atlanta)…He has three games with five or more RBI, tied for the most such games this season with Josh Naylor and Isaac Paredes…His eight career games with five or more RBI since 2019 are tied with José Ramírez for the second-most during that span…He is tied with Todd Hundley for the second-most such games in franchise history trailing only David Wright’s 10…Yesterday marked the third time in the last 14 days that Alonso had two homers and five RBI in a game…Is the first player in major league history to accomplish the feat three times in a span of two weeks or less…Courtesy of StatsPerform.
MULTIPLICTY: Alonso recorded his fourth multi-homer game of the year and the 18th of his career…His 18 career multi-homer games are now the third-most in franchise history…He was previously tied with Mike Piazza and Carlos Beltrán, who each had 17…Only Darryl Strawberry (22) and David Wright (21) have more…His 18 multi-homer games are the second-most in the majors since Alonso entered the league in 2019… Only Aaron Judge has more with 24.
POLAR BEAR VS. WINDY CITY CUBS: Pete Alonso has 13 home runs and 30 RBI in 25 career games against the Cubs…His 13 career home runs against the Cubs are tied with Paul DeJong for the fourth-most by an opposing player against Chicago since 2019…Alonso is averaging one home run per 6.77 AB against Chicago-NL, the second-highest rate all-time (min. 100 PA) behind only Mark McGwire (5.43 AB/HR against the Northsiders)…He has 30 RBI in 88 career at-bats against the Cubs… His 2.93 AB/RBI ratio vs. Chicago-NL is the best since RBI became an official stat in 1920…His 30 career RBI are the fifth-most by an opposing player against Chicago since 2019…Alonso has homered in five of his last six games against the Cubbies, including twice during a three-game set at Wrigley Field this May…He has hit safely in eight consecutive games vs. the Cubs, going 11-27 (.407) with six homers, 13 RBI, seven runs scored and a 1.589 OPS.
FOR PETE’S SAKE: Alonso is third in the majors and second in the Senior Circuit with 33 home runs…He is third in the majors and second in the NL with 83 RBI…He is hitting .333 (22-66) with 12 extra-base hits, 21 RBI, 11 runs and a 1.126 OPS in his last 17 games…He was hitting .132 (12-91) with seven extra-base hits and a .549 OPS over his previous 25 games (since his return from the IL on June 18-19).
RANK PLAYER HR
- Darryl Strawberry 252
- David Wright 242
- Mike Piazza 220
- Howard Johnson 192
- Pete Alonso 179
RANK PLAYER RBI
- Edgardo Alfonzo 538
T8. Cleon Jones 521
T8. Jose Reyes 521 - Keith Hernandez 468
- Pete Alonso 463
METS CAREER LEADERS
IN THE CITI: The Mets are in a stretch where 19 of 25 games are at home…New York is 1-0 in that span…The Mets are 27-23 at home this season…The team has posted a 3.76 ERA in Citi Field…That is the fourth-lowest mark in the National League…This compares to a 4.93 mark on the road…The team’s 50 games at home are the fewest in the majors.
JEFF McHITS: In 16 games since July 21, Jeff McNeil is batting .295 (18- 61) with 10 runs, two doubles, one triple, one home run, nine RBI, four walks with a .377 OBP and a .410 SLG…In 22 games (83 at-bats) following the All-Star break, McNeil has struck out six times.
HANG 10: Francisco Lindor has safely hit in nine of his last 10 games, batting .432 (16-37) with 10 runs, three doubles, three home runs, seven RBI, five walks, with a .512 OBP, a .757 SLG and a 1.268 OPS….Francisco Lindor ranks 11th in the majors with a 4.2 fWAR…That is seventh-best in the National League.
LINSANITY: Over the last 42 games, Lindor is batting .305 (47-154) with 33 runs, eight doubles, two triples, 10 home runs, 25 RBI, 24 walks, 12 steals with a .401 OBP, a .578 SLG and a .979 OPS…Lindor has stolen 18 bases in 111 games this season, exceeding his total from 2022 (16 steals in 161 games)…His career-best is 25 steals 158 games in 2018.
HERE’S THE CATCH: Francisco Alvarez has hit 21 home runs this season… He joins Pete Alonso (53, 2019) and Darryl Strawberry (26, 1983) as the only Mets rookies to have 20 or more home runs in a season…Alvarez leads all major league catchers with 19 home runs playing that position and is tied with Arizona’s Corbin Carroll for the rookie lead in homers.
PLAYER HOME RUNS YEAR
Johnny Bench 26 1969
Francisco Alvarez 21 2023
Darrell Porter 16 1973
Johnny Bench 15 1968
Research courtesy of Sarah Langs
MOST HR IN AGE-21 SEASON OR YOUNGER, AL/NL CATCHERS:
IF YOU START ME UP: The Mets are 34-9 when the starting pitcher throws at least 6.0 innings…New York has gone 14-1 when its starter pitches 7.0+ innings and are a perfect 5-0 when the starter completes 8.0 innings.
STEAL MY SUNSHINE: New York has recorded 80 steals in 89 attempts… The team’s 89.9 percent success rate is the best in the majors…The Mets had a franchise-record run of 35 consecutive stolen bases without being caught from May 14-June 29…Overall, New York has been successful in 53 of their last 57 stolen base attempts.
STARTING PITCHER – CARLOS CARRASCO RHP #59
2023 STATS: 3-6, 6.60 ERA
LAST TIME OUT: Suffered the loss after throwing 6.0 innings against the Kansas City Royals on August 3 at Kauffman Stadium…Allowed six earned runs on eight hits and one walk in a 9-2 Mets loss.
ACE ON ADDISON ST: Carrasco will face Chicago-NL for the second time this season and for the fifth time in his career…In his last start against the Cubbies on May 25 at the Friendly Confines, he earned the win after tossing 6.2 innings, allowing one earned run on five hits and two walks while fanning four batters… Throughout his career against the North Siders, Carrasco has pitched to a 2.74 ERA (7 ER/23.0 IP) and holds a 2-1 record…Carrasco holds a 2-0 record with a 1.93 ERA (4 ER/18.2 IP) when in the Windy City compared to an 0-1 record and a 6.23 ERA (3 ER/4.1 IP) at home.
COOKIE CRISP: In his start against the Giants on June 30, Carrasco tallied a season-high 18 whiffs and six whiffs on four-seam fastballs…According to Baseball Savant, Carrasco also currently stands in the 78th percentile in curve spin.
COOKIE’S COMEBACK: In his starts on May 25 and May 31 against Chicago-NL and Philadelphia, respectively, Carrasco allowed just two runs over 12.2 innings compared to 18 runs allowed across the 18.2 innings he threw in his first four starts of the season…In those 12.2 innings, Carrasco fanned eight batters, which equals the total strikeouts he tallied in his first three starts of the year.
WINNER, WINNER: Carrasco earned the 100th win of his career on July 30 last season at Miami after tossing 7.2 scoreless innings with four hits, two walks and seven strikeouts…His 15 wins were tied for the eighth-most in the majors…He was the first Met to have a 15-win season since Jacob deGrom in 2017…Joined Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole, Max Scherzer and Zack Greinke as the only pitchers with three or more 15+ win seasons since 2017…Won six straight decisions from May 3 (G2)-June 6, matching his single-season career-high from the end of the 2017 season…Was the first Mets starter to win at least six straight decisions in a single season since Zack Wheeler won seven from July 14-August 25, 2017.
