Chicago Cubs vs. Miami Marlins preview, Sunday 5/7, 1:20 CT

Sunday notes...

• A POSSIBILITY TODAY: The Cubs swept a three-game series from the Marlins when they made their first visit to Wrigley Field, June 14-16, 1993. In 33 subsequent series before this weekend, the Cubs have completed only five more sweeps: 1998, 2002, 2016, 2018 and 2019. In 2006, 2014 and 2022, the Cubs won the first two games, then lost the third. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• THE NICO FILES: Nico Hoerner went 2-for-4 Saturday, his 13th multi-hit game of the season. After a bit of a slump, Nico is 5-for-12 (.417) over his last three games.
• FINALLY, COMING FROM BEHIND LATE: Saturday’s win was the first for the Cubs this season when trailing entering the eighth inning. They’re now 1-11 in that category.
• WALKING ON BY: Cubs pitchers (well, Drew Smyly) walked three in Saturday’s game after two straight with no walks. Even so, the Cubs are tied for second (with the Dodgers) for the fewest walks by any National League pitching staff this year, 97, and tied for fifth-fewest in MLB.
• HE’S HOT: Since starting the 2023 season 0-for-11, Cody Bellinger is batting .327/.390/.625 (34-for-104) with eight doubles, a triple, seven home runs and 27 runs scored.

Here are today’s particulars.

Cubs lineup:

Marlins lineup:

Hayden Wesneski, RHP vs. Sandy Alcantara, RHP

Major League Baseball

Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

Hayden Wesneski’s last four starts: 2.42 ERA, 0.940 WHIP, just two walks in 22x innings. That’s much more like the Wesneski we saw last September. Whatever was up for his first two starts this year seems to have been figured out.

Wesneski has never faced the Marlins. The only current Marlins player who has ever seen him is Jean Segura (1-for-2).

Sandy Alcantara is not pitching anything like the guy who won last year’s N.L. Cy Young Award. He did throw a complete-game shutout against the Twins in his second start of 2023 but since then: 7.40 ERA, 1.597 WHIP, four home runs in 20⅓ innings.

Oddly, the last time Alcantara faced the Cubs was in the pandemic season playoffs, when he threw in the Marlins’ 5-1 win in Game 1. Ian Happ homered off him in that game, the only run the Cubs scored in that series.

Dansby Swanson is the Cub who’s faced him most: 7-for-23 (.304), two doubles.

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 Marlins site Fish Stripes. If you do go there to interact with Marlins 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.