Chicago Cubs @ Miami Marlins – Series Preview (April 28-30): Overview, Game and Broadcast Info, Starting Pitchers, W2W4
The Cubs (14-10) bounced back nicely from a series loss to the Dodgers by winning two of three from the San Diego Padres before getting out of town. Hitting and pitching well through the first month of 2023 has the Cubs four games over .500 and looking like a very solid team. Now they head out east for a seven-game road trip beginning with three in Miami.
The Marlins (13-13) are at the .500 mark through 26 games and they don’t really stand out in any area. Their team .685 team OPS and 26 total home runs are both tied for 20th in MLB, but they’ve got some offensive standouts. Luis Arraez, acquired from Minnesota in the Pablo López trade, is off to an incredible start with a .425 batting average and former Cub Jorge Soler is the main power threat with five home runs this season.
Miami’s 4.50 team ERA 4.50 is also in the bottom 10 the league, largely because staff ace Sandy Alcántara has struggled out of the gate. Jesús Luzardo has been good so far, as has fellow left-hander Braxton Garrett. The bullpen has been inconsistent but another former Cub, Dylan Floro, is pitching well.
The Marlins have been slumping the last week, although they did win their last game against the Braves on Thursday. While they aren’t pushovers, this is a team the Cubs should be able to play well against. This trip should give the North Siders a chance to build up a winning record before the schedule toughens back up in the middle of May.
Game Time and Broadcast Info
- Friday, April 28 at 5:40pm CT on Marquee.
- Saturday, April 29 at 3:05pm CT on FOX.
- Sunday, April 30 at 11:05am CT on Peacock.
Starting Pitchers
| Date | Pitcher | Age | T | ERA | W/L | FIP | K/BB |
| 4/28 | Marcus Stroman | 31 | R | 2.17 | 2-2 | 3.86 | 2.73 |
| Jesús Luzardo | 26 | L | 3.62 | 2-1 | 3.52 | 3.56 | |
| 4/29 | TBA | ||||||
| Edward Cabrera | 25 | R | 4.91 | 1-2 | 5.66 | 1.20 | |
| 4/30 | Justin Steele | 27 | L | 1.19 | 4-0 | 3.37 | 2.90 |
| Bryan Hoeing | 26 | R | 9.82 | 0-1 | 3.89 | 1.00 |
What to Watch For
- The Cubs have yet to name a pitcher for Saturday, so Caleb Kilian is a possibility to come up from AAA and make the start.
- Patrick Wisdom has gone cold, hitting 3-for-22 over his last seven games.
- Nelson Velázquez was very impressive against the Padres and it’s unclear if he will go back down to Iowa when Cody Bellinger returns from paternity leave. I personally think he should get a longer look.