Chicago Cubs vs. Colorado Rockies preview, Sunday 4/17, 2:10 CT

Sunday notes...

• THE FARM SYSTEM PRODUCES: The Cubs have five homegrown pitchers on the roster: Scott Effross, Ethan Roberts, Michael Rucker, Justin Steele and Keegan Thompson. Those five have combined to post a 1.13 ERA (three earned runs in 24 innings) in 12 games (two starts) this season and has combined to strike out 22 compared to seven walks. Effross has a 0.33 WHIP, allowing one hit in three scoreless innings, walking none and striking out five.
• SEIYA UPDATE: Seiya Suzuki has started his MLB career by reaching safely in each of his eight games played and hitting safely in each of his first seven games with an at-ba.T he seven-game hitting streak is tied for the second-longest to begin a career for a Japanese-born player (with Hideki Matsui, 2003 Yankees), trailing only Akinori Iwamura (nine games, 2008 Rays).
• GETTING AHEAD: The Cubs have held a lead in each of its first eight games this season, its longest such stretch since leading in each of its first nine contests in 2016. The Cubs last held a lead in each of their first 10 games to start a season in 2010.
• FRANK THE TANK: Frank Schwindel has hit safely in each of his last five games and in six of eight games this season. He’s batting .300/.333/.500 (6-for-20, a double, a home run) during this five-game run.

Here are today’s particulars.

Cubs lineup:

Rockies lineup:

Drew Smyly, LHP vs. Austin Gomber, LHP

USA TODAY NETWORK

USA TODAY NETWORK

Drew Smyly was very good in his first 2022 start against the Pirates, throwing five shutout innings.

His only appearance against the Rockies in 2021 was one scoreless inning of relief September 4 at Coors Field, and most current Rockies have not faced him many times. Perhaps this will be to his advantage.

Austin Gomber’s first start of 2022, last Monday against the Rangers, did not go well: four hits, two walks, three runs in 4⅔ innings.

He also got hit pretty hard by Cubs batters in his only start against them in 2021, August 25 at Wrigley Field. Three Cubs homered off him. One of those guys is still on the team! (Patrick Wisdom)

Gomber came to the Rockies in the Nolan Arenado deal. He was a top prospect with St. Louis, but has suffered the same fate as many pitchers who come to the Rockies. It’s just not a good environment for pitching.

Statcast

Statcast

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 Rockies site Purple Row. If you do go there to interact with Rockies 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 2022 Game Thread procedure will be like last years, 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.