Chicago Cubs vs Oakland A’s – Series Preview (September 16-18): Overview, Game and Broadcast Info, Starting Pitchers, W2W4
The Cubs (76-73) just lost two of three in Denver to the Rockies as their playoff hopes ebbed away. They now heads into the final two weeks of the season without much to play for other than pride. The final stretch opens with a return to Wrigley Field to play an Oakland A’s team that has been in the same position for a couple of months.
Even though the soon-to-be Sacramento Athletics (65-85) are significantly better than the 2023 squad that lost 112 games, they still are going to lose over 90 and were never a factor in the playoff race this season. Their .701 team OPS ranks 17th in baseball, though their 188 home runs are the sixth-most and they can be dangerous if they’re allowed to hang around.
Oakland’s best hitter is outfielder Brent Rooker, who has an impressive .952 OPS and 37 home runs in 2024. The other outfield starters, JJ Bleday and Lawrence Butler, both have over 20 longballs. Otherwise, the lineup has a lot of weak spots as you would expect for a struggling team.
The A’s pitching staff has not been good with a 4.32 team ERA that ranks 24th in MLB. JP Sears has been their best starter with a 4.24 in 169.2 innings pitched. The headliner for Oakland is of course fire-balling closer Mason Miller, who has a 2.30 ERA and a whopping 93 strikeouts in just 58.2 innings.
Part of the pride factor for the Cubs is finishing the season with a winning record. It’s probably a hollow accomplishment, but it would at least be something positive to build on.
Game Time and Broadcast Info
- Monday, September 16 at 6:40pm CT on Marquee.
- Tuesday, September 17 at 6:40pm CT on Marquee.
- Wednesday, September 18 at 1:20pm CT on MLB Network (out of market only) and Marquee.
Starting Pitchers
| Date | Pitcher | Age | T | ERA | W/L | FIP | K/BB |
| 9/16 | Shōta Imanaga | 31 | L | 3.03 | 13-3 | 3.82 | 6.36 |
| Joey Estes | 22 | R | 4.36 | 7-7 | 4.48 | 3.67 | |
| 9/17 | Jordan Wicks | 25 | L | 5.27 | 2-3 | 4.69 | 2.11 |
| Mitch Spence | 26 | R | 4.33 | 7-9 | 4.10 | 2.76 | |
| 9/18 | Javier Assad | 27 | R | 3.27 | 7-5 | 4.49 | 1.97 |
| Brady Basso | 26 | L | 1.23 | 1-0 | 2.97 | 5.50 |
What to Watch For
- Pete Crow-Armstrong hit two home runs in Colorado, giving him 10 for the year.
- Michael Busch had 11 hits on the road trip and went deep four times, including twice on Sunday.
- Oakland dropped two of three to the White Sox this weekend, the first time the Sox have won two consecutive games in three months.