The Cubs and Padres open a three-game series at Wrigley Field on Monday, and San Diego is back there for the first time since last year’s Wild Card Series. Shōta Imanaga gets the ball for Chicago in the opener against Griffin Canning, with first pitch set for 7:05 p.m. CT on Marquee Sports Network.
That is the game readers are looking for because it brings together two teams heading in opposite directions. The Cubs are on a 12-4 run. The Padres arrive after a 12-19 stretch since May 23, a skid that started after they were 31-20 and sitting half a game behind the Dodgers in the NL West.
Imanaga’s line tells part of the story on its own. He is 5-6 with a 4.40 ERA, a 1.054 WHIP and a 4.87 FIP, and he will be the first look in a series that continues Tuesday with Matthew Boyd against JP Sears and Wednesday with Colin Rea against Walker Buehler. Both of those games are also scheduled for Marquee Sports Network, with Tuesday set for 7:05 p.m. CT and Wednesday for 1:20 p.m. CT.
The Cubs have had success against the Padres at Wrigley Field over the long haul, winning 152 and losing 110 there all time. But that comfort has not been absolute. Chicago is only 4-8 against San Diego over the past four years, which is why this week still has some bite even with the home-field history on the Cubs’ side.
The Padres make the trip carrying more than one bad number. They won four straight before losing their last two games in Los Angeles against the Dodgers, and Sunday’s loss left them 10 games out of first place. The Cubs, meanwhile, already lost their season opener against San Diego 9-7 on April 27 before answering with 8-3 and 5-4 wins to begin their first 10-game winning streak, so the matchup has already swung once this year.
This is also the last time the clubs will see each other in the regular season, which gives the series a clean edge. After Wednesday, the Cubs are off Thursday and then host the St. Louis Cardinals for three games beginning Friday afternoon, while the Padres head back knowing Wrigley is no longer a place they can circle for later.
