Chicago Cubs vs Arizona Diamondbacks – Series Preview (May 1-3): Overview, Game and Broadcast Info, Starting Pitchers, W2W4
The Cubs (19-12) bounced back from dropping a series against the Dodgers by taking two of three from the Padres in San Diego. Winning that set at Petco Park gave Craig Counsell‘s team a 3-3 record on their West Coast trip as they return to Wrigley for three against the Diamondbacks starting Friday afternoon.
Arizona (16-14) is hovering just above the .500 mark about a month into the season after a disappointing 2025. The offense has been leading the way so far with a .726 team OPS that ranks ninth in baseball. They have just 31 homers, which is a bit below average, but the lineup can be explosive.
Former Cubs infielder Ildemaro Vargas is off to an incredible start with a 1.087 OPS and six home runs. Former rookie of the year Corbin Carroll is playing much more like his first season with a .968 OPS. Star second baseman Ketel Marte has struggled early, but he will go on a hot streak eventually.
The D-backs’ pitching has been a mess so far with a 4.99 staff ERA that is ahead of only Washington and Houston. The rotation has struggled mightily outside of Eduardo Rodriguez and Zac Gallen, and the bullpen has not been much better. Veteran Paul Sewald currently holds the closer role and has saved seven games this season.
Counsell’s crew has been getting by with a makeshift bullpen of their own recently, yet they keep finding ways to win games. They should have continued offensive success against a shaky Arizona pitching staff this weekend. Scoring a bunch of runs is a very good way to protect an unsteady ‘pen, so let’s see if the Cubs can deliver.
Game Time and Broadcast Info
- Friday, May 1 at 1:20pm CT on Marquee.
- Saturday, May 2 at 1:20pm CT on Marquee.
- Sunday, May 3 at 1:20pm CT on Marquee.
Starting Pitchers
| Date | Pitcher | Age | T | ERA | W/L | FIP | K/BB |
| 5/1 | Colin Rea | 35 | R | 4.61 | 3-1 | 3.89 | 2.67 |
| Zac Gallen | 30 | R | 3.14 | 1–1 | 3.57 | 2.43 | |
| 5/2 | Shōta Imanaga | 32 | L | 3.15 | 2-2 | 2.83 | 4.22 |
| Ryne Nelson | 28 | R | 7.71 | 1-2 | 5.57 | 2.18 | |
| 5/3 | Matthew Boyd | 35 | L | 7.00 | 1-1 | 1.78 | 5.20 |
| Merrill Kelly | 37 | R | 9.20 | 1-2 | 8.78 | 0.75 |
What to Watch For
- Imanaga had his first difficult start of the season against the Dodgers.
- Pete Crow-Armstrong hit two home runs in San Diego, including one off a left-hander.
- Alex Bregman got on base five times in his last two games.
- Closer Daniel Palencia is likely to come off the injured list this weekend, which would be a major boost for the bullpen.
