Chicago Cubs vs Colorado Rockies – Series Preview (April 1-3): Overview, Game and Broadcast Info, Starting Pitchers, W2W4
The Cubs (1-2) dropped the first two games of the season in Texas against the defending world champion Rangers before winning on Sunday to avoid the sweep. Now, both the opponent and the weather conditions get much worse as Chicago returns to Wrigley Field for the home opening series against the Rockies starting on Monday afternoon.
Colorado (1-3) lost 103 games last season and doesn’t look much better heading into 2024. They were below average offensively despite playing in the hitter’s paradise that is Coors Field. Third baseman Ryan McMahon and young outfielder Nolan Jones are the biggest threats in the lineup for manager Bud Black.
The Rockies’ pitching staff was the worst in the National League with a 5.67 ERA in 2023. In the season-opening series at Arizona, the Rox four starting pitchers combined to give up 22 runs in 17 innings of work, including, 10 against Kyle Freeland on opening day.
The Cubs have their own pitching concerns after ace Justin Steele strained his hamstring on Thursday against the Rangers and will miss at least a month. It’s still not clear who will get the fifth spot in the rotation with Steele out of action.
The weather forecast for the entire three-game set looks ominous with temperatures hovering around 40 degrees and rain possible every day. It’s very likely that one or more of the games will be postponed, but both teams are off on Thursday and a makeup affair could be played then.
If the series goes ahead as scheduled, it gives the Cubs a chance to bank some wins in what looks to be a very difficult opening month of the season. They still have to play well to earn those victories, though, because nothing is ever guaranteed in baseball.
Game Time and Broadcast Info
- Monday, April 1 at 1:20pm CT on Marquee.
- Tuesday, April 2 at 6:40pm CT on Marquee.
- Wednesday, April 3 at 6:40pm CT on Marquee.
Starting Pitchers (2023 Stats)
| Date | Pitcher | Age | T | ERA | W/L | FIP | K/BB |
| 4/1 | Shōta Imanaga | 30 | L | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Dakota Hudson | 29 | R | 4.98 | 6-3 | 5.06 | 1.32 | |
| 4/2 | Javier Assad | 26 | R | 3.05 | 5-3 | 4.29 | 2.29 |
| Kyle Freeland | 30 | L | 5.03 | 6-14 | 5.30 | 2.24 | |
| 4/3 | TBA | ||||||
| Cal Quantrill | 29 | R | 5.24 | 4-7 | 4.79 | 1.66 |
What to Watch For
- Ian Happ has reached base seven times in the first three games of the season.
- Imanaga is scheduled to make his major league debut Monday after piling up strikeouts in spring training.
- Former Cub Kris Bryant is off to a very tough start, going 0-10 and striking out seven times in his first four games.
- Nico Hoerner had just an infield hit against the Rangers.