Chicago Cubs vs. San Francisco Giants preview, Friday 7/29, 9:15 CT

Friday notes...

• FOR STARTERS: Over the last nine games, Cubs starting pitchers have posted a 1.68 ERA (nine earned runs in 48⅔ innings), holding the opponent to a .201 average (40-for-188) and just three homers allowed in 203 batters faced.
• WHAT A RELIEF: Cubs relievers have allowed two earned runs in 35⅓ innings over their last nine games (0.51 ERA). During that span they have walked 12, struck out 38 and held opponents to a .171 BA (20-for-117).
• GETTING PLOINKED: Willson Contreras was hit by a pitch for the 19th time Thursday night. That total leads the major leagues and is the sixth-most in a single season by any Cubs hitter (Anthony Rizzo had the most, 30 in 2015). Contreras’ 76 career HBP are fourth-most in franchise history (third place is Kris Bryant, 86).
• THE CLOSE ONES: The Cubs played yet another game decided by two runs Thursday, losing 4-2 to the Giants. That gives them 54 games decided by two or fewer runs, tied for fourth-most in the majors. The team’s .389 winning percentage (21-33) in games decided by two or fewer runs is fourth-worst in MLB.

Here are today’s particulars.

Cubs lineup:

Giants lineup:

Marcus Stroman, RHP vs. Alex Cobb, RHP

Since his return from a minor shoulder issue, Marcus Stroman has been lights-out: three starts, 1.26 ERA, 0.907 WHIP, 14 strikeouts and no home runs over 14⅓ innings.

He’s also been way better on the road (2.31 ERA in seven starts, 39 innings) than at Wrigley (7.94 ERA in five starts, 22⅔ innings) so it’s probably good that this start and his next one will be on the road. Eventually he’s going to have to figure out that Wrigley thing, though.

Remember all the talk that Alex Cobb was going to come to the Cubs because of his connection with Joe Maddon in Tampa?

Obviously it never happened and maybe that’s a good thing, because Cobb has been pretty bad since 2018: In 74 starts, he has a 4.61 ERA and 1.365 WHIP and 51 home runs allowed.

This year? A pile of “meh,” a 4.26 ERA in 15 starts, though he’s cut down on the homers, only five of them.

He has faced the Cubs only once in his career, way back in 2014. Here, have a link to that boxscore for amusement value. The only current Cub who has faced him is Yan Gomes (1-for-3).

Statcast

Statcast

Today’s game is on Apple TV+ (how to watch).

Here is the complete MLB.com Mediacenter for today.

MLB.com Gameday

Baseball-reference.com game preview

Please visit our SB Nation Giants site McCovey Chronicles. If you do go there to interact with Giants 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 year’s, 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.