The Chicago Cubs (6-5) and Los Angeles Dodgers (7-6) will face off on Friday, April 14th in what should be an exciting game.
Offense has been a key factor to the success of both teams so far, although being one game above .500 is something that is more impressive for the Cubs at this points, than the Dodgers.
After winning two out of three home games against the Seattle Mariners, the Cubs are third in the NL Central, 1.5 games behind first-place Milwaukee. On the pitching side, the Cubs have been solid so far this season, with a team ERA of 4.00, which is good for 10th in MLB. In addition to Justin Steele, the Cubs scheduled started for Friday, the Cubs have also gotten a great start from Marcus Stroman who is 2-0 with a 1.00 ERA after three starts. Steele is 1-0 with a 0.75 ERA after two starts this season. In two career outings against the Dodgers, Steele is 1-1 with a 3.60 ERA.
2 years ago today, Justin Steele made his MLB Debut and struck out the first batter he faced ???? @J_Steele21 pic.twitter.com/jc75URNC7T
— Cubs Zone T? (@CubsZone) April 13, 2023
On offense, the Cubs are fifth in MLB with a .280 team batting average, seventh averaging 5.5 runs per game, but only 25th hitting 0.9 home runs per game. Dansby Swanson is leading the way at shortstop with a 0.8 WAR and a .400 batting average. Patrick Wisdom leads the Cubs with three home runs, and Trey Mancini has a team-best nine RBI.