Cubs vs. Marlins – Series Preview (June 5-7): TV and Game Info, Pitching Matchups, Insights
Returning to Wrigley Field has done wonders for the Cubs. The Northsiders rebounded from an 0-6 road swing by sweeping the rival St. Louis Cardinals as the long-dormant offense finally sprang to life by scoring 17 runs over the three-game series.
Chicago looks to continue that momentum as the Miami Marlins come in for three games. Miami got off to a horrible start in 2017, bottoming out at 17-30. Since then they have won seven of eight games to at least get within shouting distance of the .500 mark
Not surprisingly, the Miami hot streak coincides with Giancarlo Stanton going on an absolute tear of late. The big slugger has hit .474 with 3 homers the last week. Former Cubs prospect Justin Bour has also been warm, with 3 homers the last week (giving him 16 on the season).
The Cubs have given up a ton of home runs this season. With that in mind, it would behoove them to be careful with the power in the middle of the Marlin order. This is a chance for Chicago to go on a streak and maybe get back in control of the division. They have stumbled before in this spot in 2017, but perhaps this time will be different.
Game Time and Broadcast Info
- Monday, June 5 at 7:05 CT on CSN-C
- Tuesday, June 6 at 7:05 CT on CSN-C
- Wednesday, June 7 at 7:05 on WGN
Starting Pitchers
| Date | Pitcher | Age | T | ERA | W/L | K/BB |
| 6/5 | Eddie Butler | 26 | R | 4.42 | 2-1 | 1.08 |
| Dan Straily | 28 | R | 3.56 | 4-3 | 2.56 | |
| 6/6 | Jake Arrieta | 31 | R | 4.60 | 5-4 | 4.18 |
| Jeff Locke | 29 | L | 1.59 | 0-0 | 0.00 | |
| 6/7 | John Lackey | 38 | R | 4.90 | 4-5 | 3.14 |
| Jose Urena | 25 | R | 3.80 | 3-2 | 1.56 |
What To Watch For
- Jason Heyward has been hitting the ball hard the last two weeks, but is hitting a lot of balls right at people. Maybe some of that hard contact will drop a bit more and he can really get hot.
- Eddie Butler may be running out of starting opportunities. After another rough outing in San Diego, Mike Montgomery may be up for the fifth starter spot if Butler struggles again.
- The Marlins’ best hitter all season has been Marcell Ozuna, who has slashed .325/.390/.556 in 2017 with 14 homers. I have always thought of Ozuna as the best possible version of Jorge Soler, so Cubs pitchers should beware.
- Ian Happ and Kyle Schwarber have shown faint signs of life the last two games. Schwarber had a grand slam and three walks, while Happ had three hits, including two homers. Is this the start of a hot streak for either? Or just bad pitch execution by St. Louis? The next few games will decide.