Chicago Cubs @ Baltimore Orioles – Series Preview (July 9–11): Overview, Game and Broadcast Info, Starting Pitchers, W2W4
The Cubs (42-49) were able to grab a rare series win against the Angels at Wrigley Field this weekend. The two victories were thanks to outstanding starting pitching performances from Justin Steele and Hayden Wesneski. The degree of difficulty now increases significantly with a trip to Camden Yards for three with the Orioles.
Baltimore (57-33) has the most wins in the American League and sits just a game behind Philadelphia for the best record in baseball. The O’s have a very powerful offense with MLB’s highest team OPS (.776) and 146 home runs, 15 more than the second-highest total from the Yankees.
That offense boasts a bevy of homegrown stars, two of whom really stand out: catcher Adley Rutschman and shortstop Gunnar Henderson. Henderson is having an MVP-caliber season with 27 home runs and a .958 OPS while Rutschman’s 128 wRC+ is third among all qualified catchers.
Baltimore’s pitching staff is no slouch either with a team ERA of 3.57, fourth best in baseball. Corbin Burnes has been every bit the ace he was acquired to be in the off-season with 14 quality starts and a 2.32 ERA. Closer Craig Kimbrel briefly lost his job after some early struggles but has been lights-out the last month and a half.
If there is any weak spot for the Orioles, it’s probably that the rest of the bullpen has been occasionally shaky. We’re not talking about Cubs-level shaky, though, so it’s nothing major. This series would be a tough matchup for anyone, let alone a team struggling as much as the Cubs are, so fasten those seatbelts because it might be a rough few days in Baltimore.
Game Time and Broadcast Info
- Tuesday, July 9 at 5:35pm CT on Marquee.
- Wednesday, July 10 at 5:35pm CT on Marquee.
- Thursday, July 11 at 5:35pm CT on MLB Network (out of market only) and Marquee.
Starting Pitchers
| Date | Pitcher | Age | T | ERA | W/L | FIP | K/BB |
| 7/9 | Jameson Taillon | 32 | R | 2.99 | 5-4 | 3.80 | 3.82 |
| Dean Kremer | 28 | R | 3.93 | 4-4 | 4.55 | 2.85 | |
| 7/10 | Shōta Imanaga | 30 | L | 3.16 | 7-2 | 3.39 | 6.13 |
| Corbin Burnes | 29 | R | 2.32 | 9–3 | 3.36 | 4.20 | |
| 7/11 | Justin Steele | 28 | L | 2.95 | 1-3 | 3.33 | 4.28 |
| Albert Suárez | 34 | R | 2.48 | 5-2 | 3.55 | 2.22 |
What to Watch For
- Michael Busch has now reached base in 14 consecutive games played.
- Dansby Swanson broke an 0-for-23 slump with a hit on Sunday.
- Steele was finally rewarded with a win with a complete game masterpiece against the Angels.