On The Horizon: Cubs vs. Rangers series preview

Welcome to the Cubs’ first interleague series of 2023. The interleague schedule has been greatly increased this year with the balanced overall schedule, from 20 games vs. the opposite league to 46.

The Rangers spent a ton of money before the 2022 season and all it got them was a 94-loss season, saved from last place in the A.L. West only by the even-worse A’s.

So what did they do this past winter? Yup, spent more money, this time on pitching, including Nathan Eovaldim, signed to a two-year, $34 million contract with a vesting option for a third year. We’ll see Eovaldi in the first game of this series.

Texas began this season by sweeping the defending N.L. champion Phillies and outscoring them 29-11 in a three-game series. Then they lost two of three to the Orioles and scored only seven runs in the three-game set. This series at Wrigley will be the Rangers’ first road games of 2023.

Fun fact

The Cubs are 9-9 all-time vs. the Rangers, 5-4 at Wrigley Field and 4-5 at Texas. The teams have not met at Wrigley since 2016, when the Cubs took two of three. In that series, the Cubs defeated Yu Darvish and lost to Cole Hamels.

Probable pitching matchups

Friday: Marcus Stroman, RHP (1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1.000 WHIP, 2.06 FIP) vs. Nathan Eovaldi, RHP (1-0, 5.40 ERA, 1.600 WHIP, 2.03 FIP)

Saturday: Justin Steele, LHP (0-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.667 WHIP, 1.06 FIP) vs. Martin Perez, LHP (1-0, 1.59 ERA, 1.941 WHIP, 2.34 FIP)

Sunday: Jameson Taillon, RHP (0-1, 6.75 ERA, 2.000 WHIP, 2.98 FIP) vs. Jon Gray, RHP (0-1, 2.84 ERA, 0.947 WHIP, 6.07 FIP)

Times & TV channels

Friday: 1:20 p.m. CT, Apple TV+ (how to watch)

Saturday: 3:05 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network, FS1 (no blackouts)

Sunday: 1:20 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network

Prediction

The weather is supposed to be better this weekend, sunny (if a bit cool on Friday), and the Cubs bats have begun to wake up. They’ll take two of three.

Up next

The Cubs host the Seattle Mariners in a three-game series at Wrigley Field which begins Monday evening.