ST. LOUIS CARIDNALS NOTES:
No team release available.
CHICAGO CUBS NOTES:
Cubs vs. Cardinals
The Cubs and Cardinals play 12 games spanning four series this season … Chicago dropped two of three to St. Louis at Wrigley Field May 8-10 and split the two-game set in London June 24-25 … following this series the teams finish with four games in St. Louis (July 27-30) … the Cubs are looking for their first season series win vs. St. Louis since going 14-5 against the Cardinals in 2017.
THE BIRDS ARE BACK IN TOWN: The Chicago Cubs today play the final game of a four-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals … the Cubs yesterday beat the Cardinals 8-6, recording 15 hits in the back-and-forth contest … Nico Hoerner (3-for-4, BB) and Ian Happ (2-for-3, 2 BB) both scored three runs and Cody Bellinger (2-for-5) pushed across four runs … Dansby Swanson returned from the IL (left heel contusion) and went 2-for-4 with a double, a RBI and a run scored.
This is the final contest of a 10-game homestand vs. Boston (1-2), Washington (2-1) and St. Louis (2-1) … following an off-day tomorrow, the Cubs head out for a six-game road trip at the White Sox (two games starting Tuesday) and at the Cardinals (four games starting Thursday).
Chicago is 9-7 in its last 16 games and 10-13 in its last 23 contests since June 25 following a stretch in which it went 11-2 in 13 games from June 9-24.
The Cubs are the only N.L. Central Division club with a positive run differential (+36) … Pittsburgh is at -72, St. Louis -19, Cincinnati -7 and Milwaukee -4.
FAMILIAR FOES: Chicago has played three games (2-1) of a 14-game stretch that sees 12 of those contests against division rivals, facing the Cardinals at Wrigley July 20-23 (4 games) and again in St. Louis July 27-30 (4 games), followed by four games vs. Cincinnati July 31-August 3 … the Cubs are currently 14-12 against the N.L. Central this season.
As part of the 14-game stretch, the Cubs face the Cardinals eight times in a 10-games … the last time Chicago played one team in eight of 10 games was July 25-August 4, 1996 against the Rockies (July 25-28 @ COL, July 30-31 vs. SF and Aug. 1-4 vs. COL). (credit: Ed Hartig)
START AT THE TOP: Including a combined 8-for-17 yesterday, Cubs 1-4 hitters are batting .325 (49-for-151) with 17 extra-base hits, 33 RBI, a .391 OBP, a .523 slugging percentage and 3.89 runs per game in nine games since the All-Star break … in the 20 games prior to the break from June 17-July 9, Chicago’s first four hitters in the order were hitting just .197 (64-for-325) with a .262 OBP, a .342 slugging percentage and 2.50 runs scored per game.
Since July 14, the Cubs top four hitters’ average stands as the best mark in the N.L. and third best in the majors in that span, while they have the most RBI in the majors (33), their 3.89 runs per game ranks second and the .391 OBP ranks seventh.
GETTING ON: Chicago batters reached base 21 times last night, the team’s 10th game of the season reaching base at least 20 times … they are tied for second-most such games in the majors (also the Texas Rangers), trailing only the Cincinnati Reds (11).
Chicago left 12 men on base last night, tied for their third-highest total of the season … the Cubs have stranded 706 runners this season, third-most in the majors.
YOU BETTER BELLI-EVE IT: Cody Bellinger in the month of July is batting .457 (32- for-70) with four doubles, six home runs, 19 RBI, 17 runs scored and a 1.258 OPS … he leads the league in average, OBP (.487) and hits in July, is second in OPS, is tied for fourth in home runs, RBI and runs scored (17) and is sixth in slugging percentage (.771).
Since July 1, Bellinger has 12 multi-hit efforts, including three games of three-plus hits, the most among all major league hitters.
In 29 games since being reinstated from the injured list on June 15 (left knee contusion) has batted .381 (42-for-110) with 23 runs, six doubles, six home
runs, 21 RBI and a 1.017 OPS, including a career-high 13-game hitting streak from June 24-July 7 … he has a 6.7% walk rate and 13.3% strikeout rate in this span.
GIVING UP THE LONG BALL: Following the game on June 26, Cubs pitchers had surrendered the fewest home runs in the majors (72) … since June 27, Chicago’s staff is tied for second in home runs allowed with 34 … in this stretch, Cubs starters are allowing 1.69 home runs per 9.0 innings, seventh-most among starting staffs, and the bullpen ranks 10th-highest with 1.34 home runs per 9.0 innings.
THAT’S A LOADED STATEMENT: In the team’s 34 games since June 11, the Cubs are batting .469 (15-for-32) with two home runs, three sacrifice flies, three walks, 42 RBI and a .487 OBP with the bases loaded … in the team’s previous 37 games from May 1-June 10, the Cubs were hitting .125 (3-for-24) with the sacks packed.
The Cubs’ .487 OBP, 42 RBI and 44 runs scored with the bases loaded since June 11 pace the majors … Chicago also ranks third in average (first in the N.L.), fourth in OPS (1.143), and its .656 slugging ranks sixth in the majors, second in the N.L., since June 11.
Nico Hoerner is tied for the league lead in bases-loaded RBI (9) in that span.
Starting Pitcher – #50 RHP Jameson Taillon (3-6, 6.05)
Last Time Out
Jameson received a no decision July 18 vs. Washington … has allowed three runs or fewer in back-to-back starts for the second time this season (also, April 14 at Dodgers and May 4 at Washington) … has walked two or fewer batters in six-straight starts, tying his season-high (also, April 2 – May 15).
Date Opp. Result IP H R ER BB SO PC-S Left
7/18 WAS ND, 17-3 5.2 7 3 3 1 4 92-68 1-3, 2 on
2023 Splits and Season Notes
W-L ERA G GS IP H R ER BB SO
Home 1-4 7.06 9 9 43.1 58 37 34 11 42
Road 2-2 4.76 7 7 34.0 27 20 18 12 25
AVG vs. LHB: .290 (45-for-155) / AVG vs. RHB: .263 (40-for-152)
Jameson will make his 17th start of the 2023 season today, his 10th at Wrigley Field … has posted a 1.98 ERA (3 ER/13.2 IP) in his last two starts and since June 2, is 3-3 with a 4.70 ERA (24 ER/46.0 IP) in eight starts after beginning the season 0-3 with an 8.04 ERA (28 ER/31.1 IP) in his first eight outings … has pitched to a 7.06 ERA (34 ER/43.1 IP) in nine starts at Wrigley Field, compared to a 4.76 ERA (18 ER/34.0 IP) in seven starts on the road … has walked 23 batters, tied for the fifth-lowest mark among N.L. starters (min. 16 GS) … has walked two or fewer in 14 of his 16 starts this season.
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.
TODAY’S STARTER: #49 – RHP JULIO TEHERAN (9gs, 2-4, 4.01)
TEHERAN AT A GLANCE: Julio Teheran, 32, makes his 10th start…..he last started on Tuesday at Philadelphia and took a 4-3 loss (4.2ip, 7h, 4r, 4er, 2bb, 3k, 1hr, 80 pitches)….. the team is 3-6 in his starts…..he has 4 quality starts…..opponents are batting .238 (46-for-193, 8hr)…..he signed with Milwaukee as a free agent on May 25 after opting out of his contract with San Diego on May 22…..after pitching in the Atlantic League and Mexican League last season, Teheran signed with San Diego in December as a non-roster invitee…..he went 4-2 with a 5.63 ERA in 8 starts at Triple-A El Paso this season (40ip, 51h, 26r, 25er, 16bb, 45k, 7hr)…..he was born and resides in Cartagena, Colombia….. name is pronounced “teh-RON.”
WELCOME BACK: Prior to his Brewers debut on 5/25 vs. San Francisco, Teheran had not pitched in the majors since a start and win with Detroit on 4/3/21 vs. Cleveland.
LAST SEASON: Teheran began his 2022 season with the Staten Island FerryHawks of the independent Atlantic League and went 1-1 with a 1.60 ERA in 6 starts…..he held
opponents to a .198 batting average with 35 strikeouts in 33.2 innings…..he then pitched in the Mexican League for Toros de Tijuana (6gs) and Sultanes de Monterrey (1gs), going a combined 4-2 with a 4.41 ERA in 7 starts…..he had 35 strikeouts in 32.2 innings in the Mexican League.
CAREER: Is 80-81 with a 3.81 ERA in 249 games/245 starts (1448ip, 613er)…..is in his 12th Major League season with Atlanta (2011-19), Los Angeles-AL (2020), Detroit (2021) and Milwaukee (2023)…..the two-time All-Star (2014 and 2016) made 30+ starts in seven consecutive seasons from 2013-19…..he was the Braves’ Opening Day starter in six straight seasons from 2014-19.
CAREER AT AMERICAN FAMILY FIELD: Is 1-3 with a 3.17 ERA in 8 starts (48.1ip, 17er)…..is 1-1 with a 3.10 ERA in 5 starts this season (29ip, 10er).
CAREER ON THE ROAD: Is 41-44 with a 3.99 ERA in 118 games/116 starts (688ip, 305er)…..is 1-3 with a 5.16 ERA in 4 starts this season (22.2ip, 13er).
CAREER vs. BRAVES: Teheran has never faced his former team of nine seasons (2011-19).
