Chicago Cubs vs Detroit Tigers – Series Preview (August 20-22): Overview, Game and Broadcast Info, Starting Pitchers, W2W4
The Cubs (61-64) managed to win their series against the Blue Jays at Wrigley Field this weekend after being swept in Cleveland. That may not have been enough, however, as they still find themselves on the outside looking in at the playoff race with the remaining games on the schedule dwindling. If they want to make a move up the standings, they will have to start against the Tigers in this three-game series starting Tuesday.
Detroit (61-64) is making significant progress in a long-running rebuild, even though they still sit below the .500 mark. The strongest aspect of the team is a pitching staff with a 3.82 ERA that ranks 11th in MLB. Their ace is Tarik Skubal, who the Cubs won’t see in this series, a young hurler with a 2.49 ERA that is the lowest in baseball among all qualified pitchers.
The Tigers offense has really struggled in 2024 with a team OPS of .677, 26th best in MLB. Outfielder Riley Greene has been the most productive hitter on the squad with 17 home runs and a .833 OPS. Matt Vierling is another threat in the lineup with 14 homers.
Cubs fans are of course focused on Detroit’s shortstop as 2016 hero Javier Báez makes his return to Wrigley Field. It’s been an absolutely brutal year for Javy with a .577 OPS and six home runs as his offensive game has completely collapsed. Still, it’s going to be a very emotional moment when he takes his first at-bat in an opposing uniform at the Friendly Confines.
The Cubs have no margin for error at this point and really can’t afford to lose many more series if they want to make a last-ditch push for a playoff spot. Sweeping this series would get them back to the .500 mark, a must if they want to be a factor at all. Let’s see if they can use the home-field advantage to make it happen.
Game Time and Broadcast Info
- Tuesday, August 20 at 7:05pm CT on Marquee.
- Wednesday, August 21 at 7:05pm CT on Marquee.
- Thursday, August 22 at 1:20pm CT on Marquee.
Starting Pitchers
| Date | Pitcher | Age | T | ERA | W/L | FIP | K/BB |
| 8/20 | Javier Assad | 27 | R | 3.19 | 5-3 | 4.53 | 1.88 |
| TBA | |||||||
| 8/21 | Jameson Taillon | 32 | R | 3.62 | 8-7 | 3.99 | 4.00 |
| TBA | |||||||
| 8/22 | Justin Steele | 29 | L | 3.10 | 3-5 | 3.23 | 3.59 |
| TBA |
What to Watch For
- Steele’s Saturday start only went two innings due to rain, so he is back on short rest.
- Isaac Paredes was scratched with a sore shoulder on Sunday but he pinch-hit later in the game.
- Ian Happ had his eight-game hitting streak snapped in the finale against Toronto.
- Detroit has not named a starting pitcher for any of the games in the series as of this publication.