Cubs vs. Rockies Series Preview (April 30-May 2): TV and Game Info, Pitching Matchups, Insights

After a four-game series sweep of the Brewers, the Cubs now sit a season-high five games above .500 at 15-10 and they’re within a half-game of first place. Pitching led the way to victory over the long weekend set, as the Cubs held the Brewers’ offense to two total runs in the series. This is great news for a starting rotation that struggled with consistency in the first month of the season.

The Cubs finally seem to be settling in after a first month full of bad weather and postponements and they got Kris Bryant and Ben Zobrist back from injury over the weekend. They look to carry their strong play over in their three-game series against the Rockies.

The Rockies come to Wrigley with a record of 15-14 and currently sit in second place in the NL West. They lost two of three in a series against the Marlins over the weekend, as the offense only managed one run throughout the series. The Rockies’ bullpen has struggled a bit early on in the season and it will be key for the Cubs offense to stay patient at the plate and force the starters out of the game early.

Cubs pitchers will also want to limit the damage from Charlie Blackmon, Nolan Arrenado, and DJ LeMahieu, all of whom boast wRC+ numbers of 126 or higher. They’ll also need to be careful when the latter hitter is on second base, prone as he is to stealing signs.

Notably absent from this matchup will be righty German Marquez, who beaned Bryant in the head when these teams met up in Denver a little over a week ago. Between that and the gamesmanship between Javy Baez and LeMahieu, it’s possible that things could get a little contentious in this series. That’s not a hallmark of Joe Maddon teams, but Arenado and the Rox have already dropped the gloves on one occasion this season.

Game Time and Broadcast Info

• Monday, April 30 at 6:05 CT on ESPN
• Tuesday, May 1 at 7:05 CT on WGN Sports
• Wednesday, May 2 at 1:20 CT on NBC Sports Chicago

Starting Pitchers (2018 Stats)

What to Watch For

• Jon Lester, Kyle Hendricks, and Yu Darvish are all coming off of strong starts, as Darvish (6 IP) and Hendricks (7 IP) gave up no earned runs while Lester gave up three (7 IP).
• Anthony Rizzo will look to break out of his extended slump to start the season (.182 average and 1 HR). Imagine what the offense will look like when he returns to form.
• The Cubs seem to have found their leadoff guy in Albert Almora Jr. (.292 average and .346 OBP) and have solidified the top of their lineup with Baez hitting out of the two slot (.292 average). Look for them both to stay hot at the top of the lineup.