
Chicago Cubs @ Colorado Rockies – Series Preview (August 29-31): Overview, Game and Broadcast Info, Starting Pitchers, W2W4
After sweeping the Angels in Anaheim, the Cubs (76-58) did a complete 180 in San Francisco and got swept by the Giants. Chicago’s offense continued to struggle, scoring just eight total runs in the series. They look to finish the road trip on a winning note with three games in Denver against the Rockies starting Friday.
Colorado (38-96) is 16-22 in the second half, which is a substantial improvement over the 22-74 debacle in the first half. The offense has not gotten much help from the hitters’ paradise of Coors Field with a .684 team OPS that is the fourth worst in baseball.
Catcher Hunter Goodman is the most dangerous bat in the lineup with 26 homers and an .839 OPS. Left fielder Jordan Beck is another potential threat with 14 homers, but there aren’t a lot of dangerous spots in the lineup.
The Rockies’ pitching staff is an absolute tire fire with a 5.94 team ERA that is by far the worst in MLB. The starting rotation is even more unsightly with a 6.55 ERA so far. Kyle Freeland has the lowest ERA of any qualified starter on the team, and his 5.28 mark is far from excellent.
Colorado’s bullpen is slightly better with a 5.25 ERA that is just the second-worst in baseball. Victor Vodnik has been decent since taking over the closer’s role with a 3.35 ERA and six saves. This is a young team with players rushed up from the low minors, so the roster is very much in flux.
If the Cubs were ever going to get their offense into gear, it would seem like this is a golden opportunity. The opposing pitching is extremely vulnerable, particularly at home in the thin air, so the level of concern will rise if the bats can’t get it done this weekend.
Game Time and Broadcast Info
- Friday, August 29 at 7:40pm CT on Marquee.
- Saturday, August 30 at 7:10pm CT on Marquee.
- Sunday, August 31 at 2:10pm CT on Marquee.
Starting Pitchers
Date | Pitcher | Age | T | ERA | W/L | FIP | K/BB |
8/29 | Cade Horton | 24 | R | 2.88 | 8-4 | 3.71 | 2.66 |
Germán Márquez | 30 | R | 5.67 | 3–11 | 4.58 | 2.09 | |
8/30 | Javier Assad | 28 | R | 3.86 | 0-1 | 4.98 | 3.00 |
Tanner Gordon | 27 | R | 6.44 | 5-5 | 4.55 | 2.46 | |
8/31 | Matthew Boyd | 34 | L | 2.82 | 12-7 | 3.41 | 3.81 |
Chase Dollander | 23 | R | 6.55 | 2-11 | 5.38 | 1.70 |
What to Watch For
- The Cubs are 6-10 at Coors Field over the last five seasons.
- Assad is going to stay in the rotation for the time being with Jameson Taillon back on the IL.
- Carson Kelly is just 3-for-17 on the road trip.