The Chicago Cubs boast the majors’ highest-scoring offense, but their pitching staff has done the heavy lifting of late.
The Cubs will aim for a sweep of the visiting Colorado Rockies on Wednesday night following a 3-1 win on Monday and a 4-3 victory in 11 innings on Tuesday.
Chicago, which leads the majors in runs (328), hits (506) and ranks second in batting average (.262), has seen starting pitchers Jameson Taillon and Cade Horton combine to throw 12 1/3 innings of three-run ball across the first two games of the series.
Horton allowed two runs on four hits in six innings on Tuesday before fellow rookie Matt Shaw blooped a walk-off single to right field, clinching the Cubs’ ninth win in the past 11 tries.
“Credit to the guys,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “It’s something we emphasize in spring training, be a tough team and one that can beat you in a number of ways. We didn’t have a great night with the bats again, but we pitched really well.”
Matthew Boyd (4-2, 3.42 ERA) will start Wednesday for Chicago and will look to rebound after his shortest outing of the season. The veteran left-hander went just four innings against the Cincinnati Reds on Friday, allowing four earned runs on eight hits and earning a no-decision. The Cubs won 13-6.
“I’ve got to be better at putting guys away a little sooner,” Boyd said after that start. “But you just keep going. You keep pitching. Hopefully, I can start to get some quick outs.”
Boyd, who is 3-0 in his last six outings, will make the 193rd start of his career and the first against Colorado.
The Rockies continue to be on the wrong side of MLB records, and another mark was set with their loss on Tuesday. Colorado (9-46) extended the worst start for any team in the modern era and dropped its 21st straight series dating to last September, marking another MLB low-water mark.
In a season that’s given the Rockies little to celebrate, the club hopes center fielder Brenton Doyle’s home run and two-RBI night on Tuesday will help turn the third-year player’s season around. Doyle is batting just .214 after launching 23 homers in 2024.
“It was a good night for him; that’s a stepping stone,” Rockies interim manager Warren Schaeffer said. “It was a step forward. He was big for us (on Tuesday), and we expect more of that.”
Right-hander Tanner Gordon (1-1, 4.38 ERA) will get the ball for the Rockies on Wednesday, making his third start of 2025.
Gordon made his season debut on May 8, allowing four earned runs in 6 1/3 innings of an 11-1 loss to the Detroit Tigers. He earned the first win of his career on Friday, surrendering just two earned runs on five hits across his six-inning stint, helping the Rockies earn a 3-2 win over the New York Yankees.
After posting an 0-6 record and an 8.65 ERA in eight starts as a rookie last year, Gordon will face the Cubs for the first time on Wednesday.
–Field Level Media
