The Cubs of Chicago and the host of the Giants of San Francisco were heading in opposite directions when their three-game series started this week, but their fortune reversed the final on Thursday afternoon.
Continue to three consecutive victories on the road against the Los Angeles Angels, the Cubs put the goals of the Milwaukee Brewers, leader of the National League, while they were watching a week of matches against the two NL West NL West teams.
Two defeats later, the Cubs now find themselves at 6 1/2 games behind the Brewers in the center and only 1 1/2 games in front of the Padres in San Diego at the top of the NL Wild-Card Race.
Meanwhile, the Giants, winners of four consecutive for the first time since early July, quietly preceded the Diamondbacks of Arizona for third place in the NL West. San Francisco has still seven games on the last position of NL Wild-Card.
During a section in which Willy Adames made a powerful return to Milwaukee, Heliot Ramos collected five strokes in two games against the Cubs and Matt Chapman crossed an important stage with his 200th career circuit on Wednesday, Ramos said one thing: just like Rafael Devers, then go the Giants.
“We all go up on the basis for Raffy,” Ramos said on the post-match post of NBC Sports Bay Area on Wednesday after four strokes, including two circuits and five points produced in the 12-3 victory in San Francisco. “Raffy is the guy here. You always want him on the plate.”
Devers, which contributed to a simple RBI to the 5-2 opening victory of the Giants in series on Tuesday, will take its first cracks Thursday against the left-hander of the Cubs Shota Imanaga (8-6, 3.03 ERA). They became head of the other three times before, all during a meeting between the Cubs and the Boston Red Sox in April 2024 in which Devers had a single and two withdrawals in the stick.
Imanaga became without victory in August despite a 2.33 MPM in four starts. He received a total of seven support points in these matches, and he did not grant more than three points in any of them.
The 31-year-old man faced the giants only once during his two-year career, after granting three points during a non-decision decision during a visit to San Francisco in June 2024.
San Francisco will put the ball back to the right-hander of AS Logan Webb (12-9, 3.13 ERA). He brilliantly launched in his last two departures against the Rays of Tampa Bay and the Brewers, granting only one point and eight strokes in 13 sleeves. The Giants won the two 7-1 games.
Webb, 28, has a dossier of 2-1 and a life of 4.05 ERA Four begins against the cubs.
The manager of Chicago, Craig Counsell, noted before Wednesday’s defeat that his team made decisions with the series in mind. It was his way of explaining why Jameson Taillon, accustomed to rotation, who started the victory of the cubs over the angels, but left with a slightly tense left groin, would be placed on the injured list rather than making his departure later this week in Colorado.
“I think the sending on Saturday is putting something in danger,” said Counsell. “I think he could go there and pluger. I don’t think it’s the smart thing to do.
“We all agree. In a different situation, maybe we push that. I don’t think it’s the right time to push it.”
– Field level media
