Cubs vs Royals Series Previews (August 3-6): TV and Game Info, Starting Pitchers, Insights
The Cubs danced around their continued bullpen issues as they swept the rebuilding Pirates at Wrigley Field this weekend. More excellent starting pitching led the way; with Yu Darvish, Tyler Chatwood, and Jon Lester all posting quality starts. Their 7-2 record is now the best in the majors, at least among teams who have played most of their schedules.
Next on the agenda for the Cubs is another rebuilding team, the Kansas City Royals. The two teams will play a home-and-home series, with two games in Chicago starting Monday and two more in KC to follow.
Mike Matheny‘s squad has some pop in the lineup, led by former Cub Jorge Soler, who hit 48 homers in 2019. The pitching is a real weak point for the Royals this season, though, as they have a lot of unproven arms and more than a couple post-prime veterans.
This is a real chance for the Cubs to build on their impressive start to this chaotic short season. With so much uncertainty swirling around baseball, banking wins is huge. The fate of baseball is out of their (properly sanitized) hands at the moment, so all the Cubs can do is handle the business that’s in front of them.
They’ve done exactly that to this point, now to see whether they can keep it rolling.
Game Time and Broadcast Info
- Monday, August 3 (CHI) at 7:15pm CT on Marquee Sports
- Tuesday, August 4 (CHI) at 7:15pm CT on Marquee Sports
- Wednesday, August 5 (KC) at 7:05pm CT on Marquee Sports
- Thursday, August 6 (KC) at 6:07pm CT on FOX
Starting Pitchers
| Date | Pitcher | Age | T | ERA | W/L | FIP | K/BB |
| 8/3 | Alec Mills | 28 | R | 3.00 | 1-0 | 5.24 | 1.50 |
| Danny Duffy | 31 | L | 5.79 | 0-1 | 3.29 | 10.00 | |
| 8/4 | Kyle Hendricks | 30 | R | 4.15 | 1-1 | 2.70 | 6.00 |
| Brady Singer | 23 | R | 3.60 | 0-0 | 4.88 | 2.50 | |
| 8/5 | Yu Darvish | 33 | R | 2.70 | 1-1 | 2.84 | 3.71 |
| TBA | |||||||
| 8/6 | Tyler Chatwood | 30 | R | 0.71 | 2-0 | 1.02 | 4.75 |
| TBA |
What to Watch For
- Kris Bryant has missed the last two games with a gastrointestinal issues and has tested negative for COVID-19, but it’s unclear when he’ll be back.
- Chatwood has been the Cubs’ best starter through his two turns in the rotation.
- Ian Happ leads the team with a 1.054 OPS, but Willson Contreras is right on his heels at 1.049.
