Chicago Cubs vs Texas Rangers – Series Preview (April 7-9): Overview, Game and Broadcast Info, Starting Pitchers, W2W4
The Cubs (7-5) won their first series at Wrigley Field this weekend, taking two of three from a very talented Padres team. They could have swept San Diego but were unable to hold on to a four-run lead in Sunday’s finale. Now the Rangers come to Chicago for a three starting Monday night.
After winning the World Series in 2023, last season was a much different story as they finished with just 78 wins and missed the playoffs. Though it’s early in 2025, Bruce Bochy‘s squad is off to an 8-2 start and is in first place in the American League West.
The Rangers offense has not done much so far with just a .610 OPS through 10 games. Adolis García and Corey Seager are the big bats in the heart of the order, although they have been very quiet in the early going. Jake Burger, who always has success against the Cubs, was added in the offseason to bring a little more pop to the lineup.
Texas has had a much more impressive beginning from their pitching staff, which has the fifth-best ERA in MLB (2.93). Nathan Eovaldi and Jack Leiter have looked great in their appearances so far, while Jacob deGrom is back from Tommy John surgery. The bullpen is a bit more of an adventure with former Brave Luke Jackson holding down the closer role.
The North Siders have weathered the early storm in their schedule quite well, but there are still three weeks of quality opponents left ahead. The starting pitching and the lineup have been very good even as the bullpen remains something of a concern. If they keep winning series, this could be a very productive season.
Game Time and Broadcast Info
- Monday, April 7 at 6:40pm CT on Marquee.
- Tuesday, April 8 at 6:40pm CT on Marquee.
- Wednesday, April 9 at 1:20pm CT on Marquee.
Starting Pitchers (2024 stats)
| Date | Pitcher | Age | T | ERA | W/L | FIP | K/BB |
| 4/7 | Justin Steele | 31 | L | 3.07 | 5-5 | 3.23 | 3.65 |
| Nathan Eovaldi | 35 | R | 3.80 | 12-8 | 3.83 | 3.95 | |
| 4/8 | Jameson Taillon | 33 | R | 3.27 | 12-8 | 3.92 | 3.79 |
| Patrick Corbin | 35 | L | 5.62 | 6–13 | 4.41 | 2.57 | |
| 4/9 | Shōta Imanaga | 31 | L | 2.91 | 15-3 | 3.72 | 6.21 |
| Tyler Mahle | 30 | R | 4.97 | 0–1 | 3.80 | 2.50 |
What to Watch For
- Kyle Tucker got on base seven more times against the Padres and hit another home run.
- Nico Hoerner has five hits in the last two games and is batting .364 on the season.
- Imanaga has allowed just two earned runs in 18.1 innings pitched.
