Chicago Cubs vs. Chicago White Sox preview, Saturday 8/28, 6:10 CT

Article on today's roster moves coming shortly.

Saturday notes...

THEN vs. NOW: I posted these numbers in the comments to Friday’s recap, but they bear repeating. ICYMI:

2021 Cubs runs scored:

Pre-deadline: 437 runs in 104 games, 4.21 per game
Post-deadline: 114 runs in 26 games, 4.38 per game

2021 Cubs runs allowed:

Pre-deadline: 469 runs in 104 games, 4.51 per game
Post-deadline: 186 runs in 26 games, 7.15 per game

Pitching. Right there is the problem.

HOME COOKING: Beginning last Friday, August 20, the Cubs are in a stretch of 21 games in which they will play only two outside the city of Chicago (at Minnesota, August 31 and September 1). In the seven games played so far of those 21, though, the results have not been good: 2-5, outscored 55-39.

BOTH SIDES OF TOWN: Eighteen players (13 pitchers) have appeared in a game for the Cubs and White Sox in the same season, including three this year: Pitchers Codi Heuer, Craig Kimbrel and Ryan Tepera. Prior to 2021, the most recent were José Quintana in 2017, Mike Olt in 2015 and Josh Paul in 2003. The first player to appear for both the Cubs and White Sox in the same season was infielder Sammy Strang in 1902.

INTERLEAGUE WOES: Friday’s loss clinched a losing interleague record for the Cubs in 2021. They are 3-11 with six games remaining and are currently on a seven-game interleague losing streak, with the most recent win coming June 22 against Cleveland. Prior to this year, the Cubs’ last losing record in interleague play came in 2014 (9-11).

Here are today’s particulars.

Cubs lineup:

White Sox lineup:

Alec Mills, RHP vs. Lance Lynn, RHP

USA TODAY Sports

USA TODAY NETWORK

Alec Mills was doing all right this month — really, he was, 2.57 ERA and one HR in 14 innings — and then the Royals torched him for 12 hits and seven runs in four innings last Sunday at Wrigley Field.

He’s still allowed just the one homer this month, though.

Mills has never faced the White Sox and only Cesar Hernandez (0-for-1, a walk, a strikeout) has seen him. Maybe that’ll be to his advantage.

Statcast

Lance Lynn held the Cubs to one run in six innings August 6 at Wrigley Field. He struck out eight.

Lynn is having a very good year that could put him in the Cy Young conversation — 2.20 ERA and 195 ERA+, both leading the AL. He was always good as a NL pitcher in St. Louis, but never quite THIS good. We will see if Cubs hitters can solve him, now that they’ve faced him once this year.

(HINT: Doesn’t seem likely.)

Statcast

Today’s game is on Marquee Sports Network. Here’s a list of providers currently carrying Marquee. It’s also on NBC Sports Chicago (with the Sox announcers).

Here is the complete MLB.com Mediacenter for today.

MLB.com Gameday

Baseball-reference.com game preview

Please visit our SB Nation White Sox site South Side Sox. If you do go there to interact with Sox 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.