The Cubs (14-10) grabbed another series victory from a team with a winning record when they took two of three from the Diamondbacks at Wrigley this past weekend. Chicago came up just short of a sweep when they lost the series finale in extra innings on Sunday.
The North Siders’ strong start was not predicted when prognosticators looked at the grueling schedule that loomed before them in April. That trudge through the calendar continues with the final meeting of the season against the Dodgers, who pop in to the Friendly Confines for a quick two-game set starting on Tuesday night.
Los Angeles (16-7) fattened up on the lousy Rockies and then won two of three against the Rangers in Texas after they had dropped a home series to the Cubs a week and a half ago. Their lineup is fully healthy and getting a surprising boost from Tommy Edman‘s seven home runs. Shohei Ohtani is back from paternity leave and Freddie Freeman has returned to form after missing time with an ankle injury.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto is off to an incredible start for the Dodgers in 2025, but he won’t face Chicago a third time. The same isn’t the case for Dustin May, who has been great early this season after missing 2024 with an elbow injury and will start on Tuesday. Key setup man Blake Treinen being on the injured list leaves LA’s bullpen a bit undermanned, though Tanner Scott has been effective in the closer role.
Dave Roberts‘ squad has slowed down after an 8-0 start, going 8-7 in their last 15 games. The Dodgers have also struggled on the road, going 4-5 (6-5 if you count the games in Tokyo) away from Chavez Ravine. The Cubs could end up winning the season matchup against LA if they take these two games. As nice as that would be, just getting a split would be great as these two teams see each other for the last time in the regular season.
Starting Pitchers
| Date | Pitcher | Age | T | ERA | W/L | FIP | K/BB |
| 4/18 | Shōta Imanaga | 31 | L | 2.22 | 2-1 | 4.44 | 2.10 |
| Dustin May | 27 | R | 1.06 | 1-1 | 2.44 | 2.33 | |
| 4/19 | Matthew Boyd | 34 | L | 2.01 | 1-2 | 3.30 | 2.22 |
| TBA |
What to Watch For
- Michael Busch had six hits against Arizona and had a huge series in Los Angeles.
- Boyd is off to a very nice start in his Cubs career with just five runs allowed in 22.1 innings pitched.
- The Dodgers have yet to name a starting pitcher for Wednesday’s game.
- Ian Happ has reached base nine times in his last four games.