Chicago Cubs vs. Seattle Mariners preview, Wednesday 4/12, 1:20 CT

Wednesday notes...

• ABOUT LAST NIGHT: The Cubs recorded their first eight-run and eight-hit innings since May 16, 2022 vs. Pittsburgh in the third inning Tuesday against the Mariners. The two-homer inning (also the third) was the team’s first since since August 18, 2022 at Baltimore. The Cubs recorded 18 or more hits for the first time since July 22, 2022 at Philadelphia (19) and scored 14 runs for the first time since October 5, 2022 at Cincinnati (15).
• CUBS vs. MARINERS: The Cubs have won their last seven games against the Mariners. The seven-game win streak against Seattle is the Cubs’ longest against an AL club since interleague play began in 1997
• NELSON’S SLAM: The grand slam by Nelson Velázquez in Tuesday’s game was the first slam for the Cubs since P.J. Higgins hit one against the Dodgers at Los Angeles July 10, 2022, a span of 86 games.
• WHAT A RELIEF: Over the last seven games, Cubs relievers have held opponents to a .189 BA (21-for-11), walked five and struck out 30 while posting a 2.97 ERA (10 earned runs in 30⅓ innings).

Here are today’s particulars.

Cubs lineup:

Mariners lineup:

Marcus Stroman, RHP vs. Logan Gilbert, RHP

Marcus Stroman is off to an excellent start this year, having allowed no runs in 12 innings with 14 strikeouts.

He hasn’t faced the Mariners since 2018 when he was with the Blue Jays, so that’s largely irrelevant. The Mariners batter who’s faced him most is old friend Tommy La Stella (3-for-12, a home run).

Logan Gilbert had a solid year for the Mariners in 2022 (3.1 bWAR) and is off to a decent start in 2023. He was Seattle’s first round pick (14th overall) in 2018.

He’s never faced the Cubs and current Cubs hitters are 2-for-6 against him, so that doesn’t tell us much. The chart below notes he’s got four good pitches that he mixes fairly well. This will not be an easy game against Gilbert.

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 Mariners site Lookout Landing. If you do go there to interact with Mariners 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 2023 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.