Chicago Cubs vs Texas Rangers – Series Preview (April 7-9): Overview, Game and Broadcast Info, Starting Pitchers, W2W4
After splitting a rain-shortened series with the Cincinnati Reds, the Cubs (2-3) return to Wrigley Field on Easter weekend for three with the Texas Rangers. Chicago erupted for 12 runs in their last game Tuesday night to break a three-game losing streak and now they face a much tougher opponent.
Texas (4-2) destroyed the Philadelphia Phillies to begin the season with a three-game sweep during which they outscored the defending National League champions 29-11. They followed that by dropping a series to an improved Baltimore Orioles team.
Dynamic outfielder Adolis Garcia is off to a terrific start for the Rangers. Catcher Mitch Garver has cracked a couple home runs while Corey Seager and Marcus Semien make up a pretty impressive infield.
If the Rangers really want to make a charge for a playoff spot, they will need the pitching to come through. The Cubs are going to miss ace Jacob deGrom, but Nathan Eovaldi, Martín Pérez, and Jon Gray all have the talent to be quality starters.
This is going to be a tough test for Chicago. Texas has made a big effort to improve their club and has already demonstrated the ability lay a beatdown on other good teams. Hopefully, the Cubs can hit some basket shots and win this series with an eggcellent effort. Even though they are the underdog, they could still pull a rabbit out of their hat.
Game Time and Broadcast Info
- Friday, April 7 at 1:20pm CT on Apple TV+ (subscription required).
- Saturday, April 8 at 3:05pm CT on FS1 and Marquee Sports Network.
- Sunday, April 9 at 1:20pm CT on Marquee Sports Network.
Starting Pitchers
| Date | Pitcher | Age | T | ERA | W/L | FIP | K/BB |
| 4/7 | Marcus Stroman | 31 | R | 0.00 | 1-0 | 2.27 | 2.67 |
| Nathan Eovaldi | 33 | R | 5.40 | 1-0 | 2.00 | 3.00 | |
| 4/8 | Justin Steele | 27 | L | 0.00 | 0-0 | 1.03 | 8.00 |
| Martín Pérez | 32 | L | 1.59 | 1-0 | 2.32 | 2.33 | |
| 4/9 | Jameson Taillon | 31 | R | 6.75 | 0-1 | 2.95 | 2.00 |
| Jon Gray | 31 | R | 2.84 | 0-1 | 6.04 | 3.50 |
What to Watch For
- Ian Happ has reached base 14 times in five games this season. He has demonstrated an excellent eye at the plate with seven walks.
- Friday’s game is exclusively on Apple TV+ and a subscription is required to watch it.
- Dansby Swanson has shown no signs of cooling off with 10 hits so far and even several of his outs have been hit very hard.
- Stroman and Steele both threw six shutout innings in their season debuts.