Chicago Cubs @ Los Angeles Dodgers – Series Preview (April 14-16): Overview, Game and Broadcast Info, Starting Pitchers, W2W4
The Cubs just wrapped up a successful six-game homestand against the Mariners and Rangers in which they won the first two games of each series. Chicago’s four wins included a shutout and a dramatic seven-run comeback on Tuesday night. Next up is a trip to California beginning Friday with three against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
For the first time in a long time, most prognosticators don’t have LA (7-6) as the favorite in the National League West. While they may have taken a slight step back in 2023, this is still one of the top offenses in the majors. Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman are the biggest threats in the lineup, but there’s plenty of talent up and down the order.
The loss of Walker Buehler to Tommy John surgery at the end of last year was a blow to the Dodgers’ rotation. That said, Dustin May and Julio Urías have been outstanding to begin the season. The bullpen has been a different story, stumbling out of the gate with a 4.79 ERA through 13 games.
Outside of the very notable exception of the 2016 NLCS, the Cubs have struggled mightily at Dodger Stadium. This will be a big test for an offense that relies more on singles than homers, even if Seiya Suzuki makes his return to the lineup this weekend.
If the Cubs continue to pitch well and play quality defense, they should be able to hang around in these games. Let’s see if the early good vibes of this season can continue at Chavez Ravine.
Game Time and Broadcast Info
- Friday, April 14 at 9:10pm CT on Marquee Sports Network.
- Saturday, April 15 at 9:10pm CT on Marquee Sports Network.
- Sunday, April 16 at 3:10pm CT on MLB Network (out of market only) and Marquee Sports Network.
Starting Pitchers
| Date | Pitcher | Age | T | ERA | W/L | FIP | K/BB |
| 4/14 | Justin Steele | 27 | L | 0.75 | 1-0 | 2.82 | 2.20 |
| Noah Syndergaard | 30 | R | 6.30 | 0-1 | 5.00 | N/A | |
| 4/15 | Jameson Taillon | 31 | R | 7.00 | 0-2 | 2.07 | 4.50 |
| Michael Grove | 26 | R | 14.73 | 0-1 | 2.45 | 2.67 | |
| 4/16 | Drew Smyly | 33 | L | 6.52 | 0-1 | 4.23 | 3.33 |
| Julio Urías | 26 | L | 1.50 | 3-0 | 2.40 | 10.00 |
What to Watch For
- Dansby Swanson should be back in the lineup after exhaustion issues forced him to come out of Tuesday’s game and sit Wednesday.
- It’s been a rough start for Taillon in a Cubs uniform with two short starts featuring control problems.
- The newly extended Ian Happ has a .429 on-base percentage in 2023 thanks to 10 walks.
- Trayce Thompson is off to a terrific start for the Dodgers with four home runs in just 19 at-bats.