Chicago Cubs vs. Los Angeles Dodgers preview, Saturday 4/22, 1:20 CT

Saturday notes...

• SOME RUN SCORING FUN: The Cubs did not get their first perfect game yesterday, but they appear to have done something else they never had done. In their last five games, Monday-Friday, the Cubs have scored 10, 4, 12, 2 and 13 runs. The Cubs have reached double figures in 1,296 games since 1901, but until now had not done so in every other game over five consecutive days. They did it every other day, May 7-11, 2018, but did not play on the 10th. After they beat the Marlins, 14-2, 4-3 and 13-4, they had a day off before they beat the White Sox, 11-2. They did it every other game, June 28-July 1, 1961, but that is only four days. They split a doubleheader the first day against the Reds, 16-5 and 7-2; beat them the next day, 15-8; then lost to the Cardinals, 11-4 and beat them, 13-1. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• MORE ON ALL THE RUNS: The Cubs have scored 10 or more runs six times in this season’s first 19 games. That matches the team’s total of 10+ run games for the entire 2022 season.
• EVEN MORE ON RUNS: Yesterday’s game was the Cubs’ 64th since 1901 in which they scored at least 10 runs and gave up none. It was the 27th of those in which they hit at least two home runs. It was only the second in which they hit back-to-back home runs. On Sept. 19, 2001, at Cincinnati, Rondell White hit a two-run homer in the top of the third, then Matt Stairs homered, making the score 5-0. Michael Tucker tripled home two runs with two out in the fourth. He did the same in the sixth, then scored on a single by White, and that completed the scoring in the Cubs’ 10-0 victory. (Courtesy BCB's JohnW53)
• NICO UPDATE: Nico Hoerner has reached base safely in a career-high 17-straight games dating back to April 2. Friday, he also extended his hitting streak to six games and is batting .448/.484/.621 (13-for-29) during the streak. Lastly, he has not struck out in 38 plate appearances dating to April 14.
• SEIYA UPDATE: Seiya Suzuki has reached base safely in all seven games he’s played so far this year, and has a four-game hitting streak in which he’s batting .571/.684/.643 (8-for-14) with a double and five walks.
• WORDS OF WISDOM: Patrick Wisdom, last 17 games since April 2: .284/.333/.776 (19-for-67) with four doubles, a triple, nine home runs and 17 runs scored.

Here are today’s particulars.

Cubs lineup:

Dodgers lineup:

Hayden Wesneski, RHP vs. Dustin May, RHP

Major League Baseball

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Hayden Wesneski absolutely dominated the A’s on Monday in Oakland, allowing one run in seven innings, with no walks and seven strikeouts. Obviously the Dodgers will not be as easy an opponent. Wesneski has never faced them or anyone on their active roster, so perhaps that will be to his advantage.

Dustin May has been mostly injured the last two years, missing most of 2021 with Tommy John surgery and a lot of 2022 with back problems.

Healthy now, he pitched well in his first three starts, then the Mets hit him pretty hard last Monday.

He has never faced the Cubs. New Cub Eric Hosmer is 4-for-10 lifetime vs. May, for whatever that’s worth.

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 Dodgers site True Blue LA. If you do go there to interact with Dodgers 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.