Padres vs Cubs opens Monday at Wrigley Field with Shōta Imanaga set to start for the Cubs against Griffin Canning. The Padres are making their first trip back to Wrigley Field since last year’s Wild Card Series, and this three-game set arrives with the Cubs carrying a 12-4 run.
Shōta Imanaga opens Monday
Imanaga was listed at 5-6 with a 4.40 ERA, a 1.054 WHIP and a 4.87 FIP for Monday’s start. That puts the Cubs in position to open the series with their most stable arm against a Padres lineup that has been uneven since late May.
Monday’s game is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. CT, and all three games in the series are set to air on Marquee Sports Network. Matthew Boyd is scheduled for Tuesday against JP Sears, and Colin Rea is scheduled for Wednesday against Walker Buehler.
Wrigley Field and recent history
The Cubs lost their season debut against the Padres at San Diego on April 27 by 9-7, then answered with 8-3 and 5-4 wins to start their first 10-game winning streak. At Wrigley Field all time, the Cubs have 152 wins and 110 losses against the Padres, but the last four years have narrowed that edge to 4-8.
That split is the most relevant backdrop for this series. The Cubs have dominated the matchup over time at Wrigley Field, yet the recent results show the Padres have been able to take games there more often than the historical record would suggest.
The Padres and Cubs form
San Diego entered May 23 at 31-20 after beating the A’s and sat half a game behind the Dodgers in the NL West. Since then, the Padres are 12-19, though they did win four straight before dropping their last two games in Los Angeles against the Dodgers.
The Cubs are on a 12-4 run and have won three of four over their last 16 games, which gives them a sharper edge heading into a series that starts now and reaches a quick turnaround. After Wednesday’s 1:20 p.m. CT finale, the Cubs have Thursday off before hosting the St. Louis Cardinals for a three-game series beginning Friday afternoon.
Can the Padres reverse that 12-19 stretch against a Cubs team that has already closed its season series with the Giants and Rockies and still has the Dodgers and Arizona ahead on the schedule? This first Wrigley Field visit since the Wild Card Series gives them three games to answer it.
