Chicago Cubs vs. Cleveland preview, Tuesday 5/11, 5:10 CT

Today’s roster move: Here

Tuesday notes...

• BREAKING EVEN: The Cubs are at .500 for the seventh time this year (1‐1, 3‐3, 4‐4, 9‐9, 10‐10, 16‐16, 17‐17). Which seems like a lot, but... the 1959 Cubs were exactly at .500 34 different times, last at 50-50. The bad news is the ‘59 Cubs finished 74-80.
• THE OTHER LEAGUE: In 2020, the Cubs were 12‐8 against the AL Central and are 15‐8 in their last 23 interleague games and 18‐10 in their last 28 dating to June 19, 2019. Overall since the start of 2016, the Cubs are 64‐36 vs. AL teams (.640), the best mark in the NL and the second‐best interleague record in the majors behind the Red Sox (68‐34/.667).
• HEY, LOOK, WE GET THE DH! Cubs designated hitters have batted .261 (235‐for‐938) with 42 home runs and 151 RBI in 246 games all‐time.
• MORE ABOUT THOSE BATS: Cubs hitters have scored 58 runs in the last 10 games, hitting .269 (90‐for‐334) with 31 extra‐base hits (18 doubles, two triples and 11 home runs).

Cubs lineup:

More on Javy:

Cleveland lineup:

Adbert Alzolay, RHP vs. Shane Bieber, RHP

USA TODAY Sports

USA TODAY NETWORK

Adbert Alzolay, last three starts: 3.45 ERA, 0.830 WHIP, 20 strikeouts, .161 opponents BA in 15⅔ innings. That’s a real solid performance and I think reflective of his ability as a MLB starter. He’s still being somewhat pitch-limited, but with the DH in play in this game, there won’t be the need to bat for him once this game gets to the middle innings.

Adbert has never faced Cleveland and only one member of the team has ever faced him, Amed Rosario, 0-for-1, a strikeout.

I have been waiting for Adbert to break out and have an outstanding start. Hopefully tonight’s the night, because...

The Cubs are facing last year’s AL Cy Young Award winner, and a pitcher who’s off to a solid start in 2021, Shane Bieber. Bieber is leading the major leagues in strikeouts with 77 in just 48⅓ innings, which is 14.3 per nine innings... wow, that’s really good for a starting pitcher. Just how good is that?

He is not invincible, though. Despite all the strikeouts, his ERA over his last four starts is 3.26, and he’s allowed four home runs in 27 innings. The Cubs will have to be on their best game to beat him. He has never faced the Cubs and the only two Cubs who have faced him (Matt Duffy and Eric Sogard) are a small-sample-size 3-for-10 with two doubles against him.

This will be the third time in eight days that the Cubs will have faced a former Cy Young Award winner... they defeated the other two, Clayton Kershaw and Trevor Bauer.

Today’s game is on Marquee Sports Network. Here’s a list of providers currently carrying Marquee.

Here is the complete MLB.com Mediacenter for today.

MLB.com Gameday

Baseball-reference.com game preview

Please visit our SB Nation Cleveland site Covering The Corner. If you do go there to interact with Cleveland fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.

The 2021 Game Thread procedure will be a bit different than previous years. It will be similar to what we’ve used for Spring Training.

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, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game, including the First Pitch Thread and the overflow thread, as well as the recap when it’s published. The recap will also live on the front page as a separate post.

You will also be able to find the preview, First Pitch Thread and the overflow thread in the box marked “Chicago Cubs Game Threads” at the bottom of the front page (you can also find them in this section link). The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.

The First Pitch thread will post at five minutes before game time, then an overflow thread at 90 minutes after the scheduled game time.

Discuss amongst yourselves.