Chicago Cubs vs. Colorado Rockies preview, Saturday 4/21, 7:10 CT

Notes for a Saturday afternoon:

• The Cubs set season highs with 16 runs and 18 hits last night. They have now reached double digits in runs scored four times in their first 17 games, the first time the club has done so since 2004 when the club reached double digits five times in its first 17 games.
• Kris Bryant reached base safely in each of his first eight games to start the season and has reached in 16 of 17 games overall, contributing to a .471 OBP, second-best in the N.L. Since making his major league debut April 17, 2015, Bryant’s 821 times on base and 939 total bases both rank third-most in the N.L. and his 96 homers are fourth-most behind Nolan Arenado (118), Giancarlo Stanton (112) and Bryce Harper (101). (Obviously, Stanton is no longer in the league.)
• Cubs batters have been hit by a pitch 19 times in their first 16 games, the most in the major leagues. The White Sox are second with 14. Bryant leads the majors with six HBPs. The Cubs had a HBP in eight-straight games from April 8-19, the club’s longest streak since at least 1908.

Here are today’s particulars.

Cubs lineup:

David Bote gets a chance right away. Hope he does great. Also:

Rockies lineup:

Yu Darvish, RHP vs. Tyler Anderson, LHP

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Yu Darvish has made three starts this year. One was really good, the other two... let’s not talk about them.

Darvish faced the Rockies once last year, after his trade to the Dodgers. That didn’t go very well either.

He’s never pitched in Coors Field before. What you have read above this would seem to indicate this might be a rough night for Yu.

But because baseball, I’m going to say he’ll have a good game tonight. Just a hunch.

Tyler Anderson’s only career start against the Cubs was August 19, 2016 at Coors Field, and the Cubs scored five runs off him in seven innings. Among current Cubs, Addison Russell homered off him that night, which should have been a win, except the bullpen had a meltdown and the Cubs lost in extras.

This year, in his four starts, Anderson has two good outings and two bad ones, resulting in a 4.74 ERA, 1.579 WHIP and 4.88 FIP. He’s issued a lot of walks: 12 in 19 innings. Thus if the Cubs can be patient with him tonight, good things should follow.

Today’s game is on NBC Sports Chicago.

Here is the complete MLB.com Mediacenter for today.

MLB.com Gameday

Baseball-reference.com game preview

SB Nation game preview

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The 2018 Game Thread procedure will be the same as the one used during 2017. Here's how it works.

You'll find the game preview posted separately on the front page, two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).

At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page. The First Pitch Thread and all the overflow threads will be published in that stream, as well as the recap. The recap will also live on the front page as a separate post, and at the time I write the recap I will rename the stream "Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of Week) Game Threads" so you can go back and find every thread related to that particular game.

You will also be able to find the preview, First Pitch Thread, all the overflow threads and recap in the box marked "Chicago Cubs Game Threads" at the bottom of the front page (you can also find them in this section link). They will also appear in the game's StoryStream as noted above.

The First Pitch thread will post at five minutes before game time, then an overflow thread at one hour, two hours and 2:45 after the scheduled game time.

Discuss amongst yourselves.