Preview for the April 25th Game

Preview for the April 25^th Game

Chicago Cubs (6-14) at Miami Marlins (5-16)

The Chicago Cubs are looking forward to playing a non-division foe and a team with a losing record. The Cubbies will be heading to Marlins Park as the favorite for a four game series with their first game being tomorrow at 7:10pm eastern time. The probable starting pitcher for the Cubs will be the veteran RHP Edwin Jackson. Jackson is 0-3 on the year with an era of 4.84 and is coming off his best start which was a quality start where he allowed just 4 hits and one walk. Edwin Jackson should be looking forward to his start tomorrow because he will be facing a lineup that is a tad weak at times and because he gets a chance to pitch in a pitcher’s park. If Jackson can avoid the big inning, which he hasn’t done much of this season and prevent Giancarlo Stanton from having a big game he should pull out his first W in a Cubbie blue uniform.

The pitcher that the Marlins will be sending to the mound in their opening series game against the Cubs is LHP Kevin Slowey. Slowey has pitched solid in his first four starts, but you wouldn’t guess that because he’s 0-2 with a low era of 1.90. The pitches in his repertoire are a sinker ball that he needs to command well to be effective, a fastball in the high-80s, a cutter that he will use against hitters like Starlin Castro, a slider that he will use to strikeout batters and a changeup to change the pace on hitters. Kevin Slowey will be looking for his first win in the young season and it looks like he could have a good chance because the Cubs haven’t handed a starting opposing left-handed pitcher a loss yet in this season.

The Cubs hitters will look to show that their lineup is effective against LHPs and score enough runs to give the pitchers enough run support to win a game. The Cubbies will probably have Dave Sappelt, Welington Castillo and Alfonso Soriano back in their starting lineup in tomorrow’s game. I hope that the Cubs know the track record that David DeJesus has against Slowey, DeJesus is batting a clip of .333 with 5 RBIs against Slowey in his 18 at bats against him.

My prediction of the game is the Cubs win their first game against the Marlins with a score of 5-2. The Cubs starting pitcher matches up too well against the Marlins lineup and therefore can take advantage of the lack of run support they may receive by the Cubs hitters by pitching lights out against the Marlins. My predicted player of the game is Edwin Jackson by going 7 solid innings and allowing just one earned run with 8 strikeouts. I also predict that Alfonso Soriano will put together a solid game by going 2 for 4 with an extra base hit or two.