On The Horizon: Cubs vs. Mets series preview

The last time these teams met, the Cubs shut out the Mets 2-0 on two hits. That was June 17, 2021. Of the 13 Cubs who played in that game, only two (Willson Contreras and Ian Happ) are currently on the Cubs’ active roster. Two Mets who played in that game (Jonathan Villar and Marcus Stroman) have played for the Cubs this year.

The Cubs are 66-114 since that game. The Mets are 95-93. The teams are obviously headed in different directions.

For more on the Mets, here’s Chris McShane, managing editor of our SB Nation Mets site Amazin’ Avenue.

Having put 55 wins in the books already, the Mets are a very, very good team this year. Even with Jeff McNeil on paternity leave and Starling Marte nursing an injury that kept him out of the series entirely, the team took two of three in Atlanta to increase their lead in the National League East.

The roster isn’t perfect, of course, but there are a lot of very good players, and it’s still a bit surreal that the Mets have Francisco Lindor and Max Scherzer on their team. For all the hand-wringing about the team’s offense lately, the Mets enter this series having scored the fourth-most runs per game in Major League Baseball, and they were sixth-best in runs allowed per game at the same point in time.

Simply put, the Mets are playing good baseball, and they’re not even at full strength yet, as Jacob deGrom is making rehab starts with an eye on returning to the rotation sometime after the All-Star break.

Fun fact

The Cubs won the season series from the Mets in 2021, four games to three, and swept them in a three-game series at Wrigley Field in April 2021 on three really cold nights.

Pitching matchups

Thursday: Keegan Thompson, RHP (7-3, 3.04 ERA, 1.169 WHIP, 3.62 FIP) vs. Carlos Carrasco, RHP (9-4, 4.55 ERA, 1.344 WHIP, 3.59 FIP)

Friday: Marcus Stroman, RHP (2-5, 4.91 ERA, 1.188 WHIP, 4.03 FIP) vs. Taijuan Walker, RHP (7-2, 2.63 ERA, 1.097 WHIP, 3.00 FIP)

Saturday: Drew Smyly, LHP (2-5, 4.43 ERA, 1.343 WHIP, 4.68 FIP) vs. Max Scherzer, RHP (6-1, 2.15 ERA, 0.830 WHIP, 2.60 FIP)

Sunday: Adrian Sampson, RHP (0-1, 3.33 ERA, 1.111 WHIP, 3.48 FIP) vs. David Peterson, LHP (5-2, 3.48 ERA, 1.248 WHIP, 4.00 FIP)

Times & TV channels

Thursday: 7:05 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network

Friday: 1:20 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network (also on MLB Network outside the Cubs and Mets market territories)

Saturday: 1:20 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network

Sunday: 1:20 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network

Prediction

I look at these pitching matchups and think, “Hmmm, maybe the Cubs can split this series.” Then the pitchers actually go out and pitch and it doesn’t work out that way.

Even after I called for a split of the Orioles series and it didn’t happen, I’m going to call for a split again. Maybe this time...

Up next

The All-Star break! Willson Contreras and Ian Happ head to Dodger Stadium for All-Star festivities Monday and Tuesday. The rest of the Cubs have four days off, then open a three-game series against the Phillies in Philadelphia Friday evening.

Here are the odds for the Cubs vs. the Mets tonight. As you can imagine, the Mets are favored.