Chicago Cubs vs. Miami Marlins Game 1 preview, Saturday 4/20, 1:20 CT

SITE NOTE: As is traditional for doubleheaders here — and yes, I know the Cubs haven’t had one at Wrigley Field since August 2022 — there will be only one StoryStream for both games. After Game 1, a preview for Game 2 will post about an hour before game time, with pitching info and perhaps some highlights from Game 1. A complete recap of both games will post at 8 a.m. CT Sunday.

Luke Little will be the Cubs’ 27th man for today’s doubleheader.

Saturday notes…

• DOUBLE DIPPING MIAMI: The Cubs have played only two previous doubleheaders against the Marlins during Miami’s 32 seasons in the league. Both were in 2004, just 10 days apart, after Hurricane Frances postponed a three-game series at Miami set for Sept. 3-5. One of the games was made up at Wrigley Field as part of a doubleheader on Friday, Sept. 10. The Cubs lost, 7-0, then won, 11-2. On Monday, Sept. 20, originally an open date for both teams, they played 2 games at Miami. The Cubs won, 5-1, then lost, 5-2. The Cubs have played fewer doubleheaders against only one NL team, the Diamondbacks: one, in 2006. Today will be the Cubs’ 1,841st doubleheader (873rd at home) since 1876 and their 1,689th (794th at home) since 1901. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• NICO GETS HOT: Nico Hoerner, last 10 games since April 7: .361/.415/.527 (11-for-32) with four doubles, a triple, four walks and eight runs scored.
• SO DOES CODY: Cody Bellinger is on a five-game hitting streak in which he is batting .350/.500/.450 (9-for-20) with a triple, two walks and three runs scored.
• WINNING AT HOME: The Cubs are 6-1 in their first seven home games. Last year they were 4-3 at home after seven Wrigley games. The last time the Cubs started 6-1 at home was in the pandemic season of 2020. The last time they started 6-1 at Wrigley in a 162-game season was 1985, when they won seven of eight on an opening homestand, then the first game of the next homestand to start 8-1 at home.

Here are today’s particulars.

Cubs lineup:

Marlins lineup:

Javier Assad, RHP vs. Jesús Luzardo, LHP

Javier Assad has made three starts this year and all of them have been good. Despite not really being a strikeout pitcher, Assad has 18 K’s in 16⅔ innings so far in 2024.

Assad has never faced the Marlins and the only two current Marlins who have faced him, Tim Anderson and Josh Bell, are a combined small sample size 0-for-4 (two strikeouts).

Jesús Luzardo has been one of the Marlins’ better starters over the last two seasons, but this year he’s off to a rough start, with a 7.59 ERA and five home runs allowed in 20 innings.

Last year he started against the Cubs April 28 in Miami and allowed two runs in 6⅓ innings.

Hopefully the Cubs can do better than that this time.

Statcast

Statcast

Today’s game is on Marquee Sports Network. You can find out if Marquee is available via a provider in your area here.

Here is the complete MLB.com live streaming page for today.

MLB.com Gameday

Baseball-reference.com game preview

Please visit the Marlins site Fish On First. If you do go there to interact with Marlins fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.

The 2024 Game Thread procedure will be like last year’s, similar to what we’ve used for Spring Training.

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.