THE FACTS
When is San Diego Padres @ Chicago Cubs taking place? Friday 17th July, 2019 – 19:20 (UK)
Where is San Diego Padres @ Chicago Cubs taking place? Wrigley Field
What is the expected weather for San Diego Padres @ Chicago Cubs? Sunny, 34c at the time of the first pitch
What television channel is San Diego Padres @ Chicago Cubs on? NBCSCH, Fox Sports San Diego, MLB Network (out of market) in USA, while BT Sport and ESPN will show it in UK
Where can I stream San Diego Padres @ Chicago Cubs? Fox Sports GO, MLB.tv, WatchESPN, and BT Sport subscribers can stream the match live via the BT Sport website or app
Where can I get tickets for San Diego Padres @ Chicago Cubs? https://www.mlb.com/tickets/season-tickets
What was the outcome in the last meeting? San Diego Padres 10 – 6 Chicago Cubs
THE TEAM NEWS
SAN DIEGO PADRES
- The Padres were riding a four-game losing streak following the All-Star Break, but they ended that negative run with a 3-2 win over the Miami Marlins on July 17th. San Diego have gone 1-4 in their last five outings following another loss against the Marlins this past Tuesday, and 4-6 in their last ten, although three of those wins came against another contending team – Los Angeles Dodgers – earlier this month.
- Keep an eye on Fernando Tatis Jr. in this one. One of the favourites for the NL Rookie of the Year Award, Tatis Jr. has 15 HR, 34 RBI and a .990 OPS in the season, while hitting .317 in his last 15 games and .333 in his last 30 outings. Their injury list includes players such as P Travis Jankowski, P Jose Castillo, P Jacob Nix and P Adam Warren.
- Eric Lauer will be the starter for the Padres in this one. The 24-year-old left-hander has made 17 starts this season and currently owns a 5-7 mark with a 4.04 ERA, 72 strikeouts and a 1.30 WHIP across 91.1 innings.
CHICAGO CUBS
- The Cubs have been heavily criticised of late, but they seem to be turning things around following the All-Star Break. They recently took two out of three games against the Cincinnati Reds, and have gone 5-1 following the All-Star Break. They have also gone 7-3 in their last ten outings.
- Kris Bryant has been picking things up of late and currently leads the Cubs with a .299 average. NL MVP runner-up in 2018 Javier Baez remains Chicago’s most decisive player, however, as he currently leads in both home runs (22) and RBI (63). Among the notable injuries and absentees, we can find P Carl Edwards Jr., C Willson Contreras and P Cole Hamels.
- The starting pitcher for the Cubs in this one will be Jon Lester. The veteran left-hander has a 9-6 record and a 3.74 ERA in 2019, while sporting 99 SO and a 1.31 WHIP in 101.0 innings pitched (18 starts).
THE PREDICTION
The Padres seem to be picking things up following the All-Star Break, but the Cubs are probably going through one of their best stretches of the season and will also have the support of the home crowd going into this one. Expect the Cubs to take care of business and win here in the series opener.
