Chicago Cubs @ Seattle Mariners – Series Preview (April 12-14): Overview, Game and Broadcast Info, Starting Pitchers, W2W4
The Cubs (7-5) began their nine-game West Coast road trip by dropping two of three to the Padres. It would have been a series victory if Chicago had not allowed San Diego to rally back from a 8-0 deficit and win in Monday’s game. Craig Counsell and company are hoping the bullpen will tighten things up as they visit the Mariners (5-8) for three games starting Friday.
Much like the Cubs in 2023, Seattle came up just one game short of the final Wild Card spot in the American League after finally ending their 21-year playoff drought in 2022. The heart of the team is star center fielder Julio Rodríguez, who hit 32 home runs and played Gold Glove-caliber defense last season.
Two of the Mariners’ other power hitters from last season, Eugenio Suárez and Teoscar Hernández, have moved on and an offense that struggled at times in 2023 has been pretty cold early on in 2024. Catcher Cal Raleigh and shortstop J.P. Crawford can be dangerous when they are locked in at the plate.
Seattle’s strong suit is the pitching staff headlined by former Reds ace Luis Castillo. George Kirby and Logan Gilbert join Castillo forming a very good rotation. Hard-thrower Andrés Muñoz is the closer but he is battling some control issues early in 2024.
The M’s are off to a slow start but they are still a dangerous opponent that is capable of playing good baseball, especially, at T-Mobile Park. The Cubs offense has been outstanding early in the season. Most of their problems have come with the pitching, particularly in the dodgy bullpen.
This is a good chance for Chicago to bounce back from the disappointment in San Diego and grab their first series win on the road. Hopefully, the Cubs can grind it out and brew up a couple of victories in the Pacific Northwest.
Game Time and Broadcast Info
- Friday, April 12 at 8:40pm CT on Apple TV+.
- Saturday, April 13 at 8:40pm CT on MLB Network (out of market only) and Marquee.
- Sunday, April 14 at 3:10pm CT on MLB Network (out of market only) and Marquee.
Starting Pitchers
| Date | Pitcher | Age | T | ERA | W/L | FIP | K/BB |
| 4/12 | Jordan Wicks | 24 | L | 4.15 | 0-1 | 1.59 | 3.25 |
| Bryce Miller | 25 | R | 3.00 | 1-1 | 3.96 | 4.33 | |
| 4/13 | Shōta Imanaga | 30 | L | 0.00 | 1-0 | 0.81 | N/A |
| Emerson Hancock | 24 | R | 11.42 | 1-1 | 7.48 | 3.00 | |
| 4/14 | Javier Assad | 26 | R | 1.64 | 1-0 | 3.57 | 3.50 |
| Luis Castillo | 31 | R | 6.89 | 0-3 | 3.34 | 4.50 |
What to Watch For
- Imanaga has yet to walk a batter while striking out 12 in his two starts.
- Christopher Morel hit a grand slam against the Padres and continues to work good at bats.
- Assad has been very good in his two starts in 2024.
- Castillo has gotten off to a rough start this season but he always seems to perform well against the Cubs.