Chicago Cubs vs Los Angeles Dodgers – Series Preview (April 5-7): Overview, Game and Broadcast Info, Starting Pitchers, W2W4
The Cubs (4-2) began their 2024 home slate with a three-game sweep of the dreadful Rockies at a cold and miserable Wrigley Field. Unlike the weather, the offense was hot as they scored 28 runs in the series. The defense and the bullpen were shaky at times, especially in Wednesday’s game, which is something they won’t be able to get away with so easily against the mighty Dodgers who come in for the weekend.
As you may have heard, the Los Angeles Dodgers (7-2) had a pretty active off-season heading into 2024. They added Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Tyler Glasnow to a roster that won 100 games last season. Ohtani joins a lineup that already features future Hall of Famers Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts.
Not surprisingly, the Dodgers are averaging 6.3 runs a game through their first nine contests and Betts is hitting .458 with five home runs. Pitching is more of a weak spot for Dave Roberts‘ squad with Ohtani (the pitcher not the hitter) and Walker Buehler unable to start due to injuries.
Los Angeles is an even more formidable opponent for the Cubs than the Texas Rangers were in the first series of the season. Limiting mistakes and making the most out of any opportunities will be big if they want to hang in there this weekend.
Chicago’s hitters will be able to score on the Dodgers pitching staff if they stay hot, but it’s a completely different matter when it comes to LA’s explosive bats. Let’s see if Craig Counsell and company can surprise some people and make some noise against the media darlings from the coast.
Game Time and Broadcast Info
- Friday, April 5 at 1:20pm CT on Marquee.
- Saturday, April 6 at 3:05pm CT on FS1 and Marquee.
- Sunday, April 7 at 1:20pm CT on Marquee.
Starting Pitchers
| Date | Pitcher | Age | T | ERA | W/L | FIP | K/BB |
| 4/1 | Kyle Hendricks | 34 | R | 12.27 | 0-1 | 10.94 | 1.00 |
| Bobby Miller | 25 | R | 0.00 | 1-0 | 0.13 | 11.00 | |
| 4/2 | Jordan Wicks | 24 | L | 4.50 | 0-0 | 2.55 | 2.00 |
| Yoshinobu Yamamoto | 25 | R | 7.50 | 0-1 | 1.97 | 7.00 | |
| 4/3 | Shōta Imanaga | 30 | L | 0.00 | 1-0 | 0.30 | N/A |
| Gavin Stone | 25 | R | 5.40 | 0-0 | 1.50 | 6.00 |
What to Watch For
- Christopher Morel has at least one hit and a run in every game he’s played so far in 2024.
- Seiya Suzuki had six hits including two home runs against the Rockies.
- Imanaga was very impressive with nine strikeouts in his major league debut Monday.
- Ohtani is hitting .270 with one home run and four RBI, let’s hope he’s not heating up.