Today’s roster move: Here
Saturday notes…
WINNING THE CLOSE ONES: Yesterday’s win improved the Cubs’ record in games decided by one run to 16-8, for a winning percentage of .667. They have finished with a higher percentage in only one season since 1901: .688 in 1907 (37-16-3). They were .667 in 1912 (31-15-2) and .663 in 1906 (27-13-3). Their best in the Live Ball Era was .618, in 2015 (34-21). They were .614 in 2003 (27-17) and .605 in 2017 (26-17). The Cubs have not had a winning record in one-run games at the end of a full season since 2018, when they were 26-25. They were 10-9 in the 60-game 2020 season. Since then, they have gone 24-27, 26-27, 21-24 and 23-28. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
TIME HAS COME TODAY: The Cubs have played only two full games since 2000 that were shorter than yesterday’s 1 hour, 49 minutes — and they were shorter by exactly one minute: wins at home over the Reds, by 3-0 on May 24, 2001, and by 1-0 on Sept. 27 of last year. They beat the Cardinals, 2-1, in 1:49, the same as yesterday, on June 21, 2002. None of their 4,023 other games of at least nine innings was shorter than 1:55. They played four games of five or six innings that ranged from 1:15 to 1:46. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
THAT OTHER LEAGUE: The Cubs’ .622 winning percentage (23-14 record) against American League teams is the best interleague percentage of any National League team so far this year.
PCA! PCA! PCA!: Pete Crow-Armstrong, last 16 games since July 10: .311/.348/.689 (19-for-61) with 11 doubles, four home runs, 11 RBI and 10 runs scored.
Here are today’s particulars.
Cubs lineup:
Orioles lineup:
Matthew Boyd, LHP vs. Tomoyuki Sugano, RHP
Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images
Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
Originally, Ben Brown was listed as today’s starter, but instead, Craig Counsell moved Matthew Boyd up a day. He’s going on four days’ rest.
Boyd had a rare bad outing Monday against the Brewers, and even then he gutted out five innings.
For whatever it’s worth, his ERA at Wrigley Field is a run lower than on the road — 1.95 in 10 starts at home, 2.97 in 11 starts on the road. He’s also better in day games (1.90 in eight starts) than night games (2.83 in 13 starts).
Sounds like a recipe for success to me. He hasn’t faced the Orioles since 2023 and so just four of the current Baltimore hitters have seen him, none for more than three at-bats.
Tomoyuki Sugano came to the Orioles from Japan’s NPB this year. Like his countryman Shōta Imanaga, he relies on offspeed stuff and not velocity. He doesn’t strike out many — just a 15.2 percent K rate.
He’s never faced the Cubs. I don’t have specific stats, but he and Seiya Suzuki were both in NPB’s Central League from 2014-21, so I have to assume Suzuki has seen Sugano before.
Today’s game is on Marquee Sports Network. You can find out if Marquee is available via a provider in your area here. It’s also on FS1 (full national broadcast, no blackouts).
Here is the complete MLB.com live streaming page for today.
Baseball-reference.com game preview
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The 2025 Game Thread procedure will be identical to last year’s.
You’ll find the game preview posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).
At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game, including the First Pitch Thread and the overflow thread, as well as the recap when it’s published. The recap will also live on the front page as a separate post.
You will also be able to find the preview, First Pitch Thread and the overflow thread in the box marked “Chicago Cubs Game Threads” at the bottom of the front page (you can also find them in this section link). The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.
The First Pitch thread will post at five minutes before game time, then an overflow thread at 90 minutes after the scheduled game time.
Discuss amongst yourselves.