Giants-Cubs Series Preview

The Cubs and Giants meet again at Oracle Park this week in very different places than when they last faced off in May. Back then, San Francisco was surging and took two of three from Chicago, but since then, the Cubs have gone 54-39 while the Giants stumbled with a 39-54 mark. Chicago’s lineup has been its strength, powered by Kyle Tucker, Seiya Suzuki, Michael Busch, and Pete Crow-Armstrong, though their pitching has been shaky despite a similar ERA to the Giants. San Francisco, meanwhile, has struggled badly at home (8-22 in their last 30 at Oracle) but still has players who could shift momentum, like Willy Adames heating up at the plate and Casey Schmitt putting together a strong August. Justin Verlander could be making his final start in a Giants uniform, adding extra intrigue. For Chicago, this series comes in the middle of a long road trip and has major postseason implications, as a sweep could push them out of the top Wild Card spot. The Giants may be out of contention, but they have a chance to play spoiler against a Cubs team still chasing the Brewers in the NL Central.