The Cubs open their four-game set vs. the Marlins, belatedly due to Thursday’s rainout.
Friday notes…
- YOUR WEATHER UPDATE: Thursday’s rainout was Cubs’ first postponement in more than a year, since April 5 of last year, at Cincinnati. They had played 175 games as scheduled since then until yesterday. They had played 121 in a row at home since Friday, July 15, 2022, when the second of four games against the Mets was washed out. It was made up the next day. The Cubs have had just 10 games postponed since the start of 2020: eight at home, two on the road. They had 32 postponements in 2010-19, 27 in 2000-09 and 25 in 1990-99.Since 1876, they have had a total of 1,373 (656 at home, 717 on the road). They averaged 9.3 in all previous seasons (4.4 at home, 4.9 on the road). (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
- THE BUSCH LEAGUE: Michael Busch, last seven games since April 10: .400/.500/1.040 (10-for-25, 1.540 OPS), a double, five home runs, five walks, six runs scored.
- WHAT A RELIEF: The Cubs bullpen has allowed nine earned runs (11 runs total) in 32⅔ IP in their last eight games since April 9 (2.48 ERA).
- THE LEIT SHOW: Mark Leiter Jr. has thrown 10 scoreless innings with 11 strikeouts, while stranding six of his seven inherited runners across nine outings in 2024. Leiter is the only pitcher in the N.L. and one of three in MLB (minimum nine games) to have not allowed an earned run yet this season (also Jason Foley and Hunter Gaddis).
Here are today’s particulars.
Cubs lineup:
.@JTaillon50 takes the mound today!
Tune in: https://t.co/Gs2hZXyTjH pic.twitter.com/2h239ZkoqF
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) April 19, 2024
Marlins lineup:
#Marlins lineup for today’s series opener
Same nine that guys that were penciled in for yesterday’s contest. AJ Puk on the mound pic.twitter.com/cBjjgaxEML
— Isaac Azout (@IsaacAzout) April 19, 2024
Jameson Taillon, RHP vs. A.J. Puk, LHP
Well, you all know the Jameson Taillon story. Threw his back out while warming up for a Spring Training outing. By chance, I was right there when it happened:
Healthy now, he’s made two rehab starts; the results don’t matter, as they usually don’t for such things. He threw 68 pitches in the last one, so maybe 75-80 tonight.
Taillon hasn’t faced the Marlins since 2021 so most of the current Marlins roster has only a handful of career AB against him.
A.J. Puk had been exclusively a reliever in MLB until this year, when the Marlins put him in the rotation. The results so far have been… shaky, a 5.91 ERA and 2.438 WHIP and 14 (!) walks in just 10⅔ innings.
That could play right into the hands of Cubs hitters, who are generally pretty patient. Puk made four relief appearances vs. the Cubs last year, his only career outings against them, and allowed three runs (two earned) in three total innings, with six strikeouts (and, oddly given his record this year, no walks).
Taillon’s chart below is from 2023; Puk’s, from this year.
Today’s game is on Marquee Sports Network. You can find out if Marquee is available via a provider in your area here. It’s also on MLB Network (outside the Cubs and Marlins market territories).
Here is the complete MLB.com live streaming page for today.
Baseball-reference.com game preview
Please visit the Marlins site Fish On First. If you do go there to interact with Marlins fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.
The 2024 Game Thread procedure will be like last year’s, similar to what we’ve used for Spring Training.
You’ll find the game preview posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).
At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game, including the First Pitch Thread and the overflow thread, as well as the recap when it’s published. The recap will also live on the front page as a separate post.
You will also be able to find the preview, First Pitch Thread and the overflow thread in the box marked “Chicago Cubs Game Threads” at the bottom of the front page (you can also find them in this section link). The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.
The First Pitch thread will post at five minutes before game time, then an overflow thread at 90 minutes after the scheduled game time.
Discuss amongst yourselves.