The Chicago Cubs are on a three-game losing streak as they face the San Diego Padres on Tuesday, April 28, at 8:40 CT. Historically, the Cubs have struggled after losing the first game of a series in San Diego.
Key points
Cubs on a three-game losing streak
Cubs have lost the first game of a series in San Diego 27 times
Moises Ballesteros has the highest OPS among Cubs debutants since 1901
Game scheduled for April 28 at 8:40 CT
Chicago CubsSan Diego PadresMoises Ballesteros
Tuesday notes…
STREAKING THE WRONG WAY: The Cubs had not lost three straight games this season until this current streak from Saturday through Monday. They had lost back-to-back games twice. They lost three in a row four times last season and five in a row once. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
AT SAN DIEGO: This is the Cubs’ 86th series at San Diego since the Padres joined the National League in 1969. It is the 42nd in which the Cubs lost the first game. They won the second game 14 times and lost it 27 times. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
MORE FROM SAN DIEGO: Last night’s game was the Cubs’ 263rd at San Diego. It was the 19th in which they scored exactly seven runs. They had won each of the previous 18, most recently by 7-1 in 2021, 7-5 in 2022 and 7-1 in 2023. The Cubs are 21-4 at home when they have scored seven runs vs. the Padres, making their overall record in seven-run games 39-5. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
MO BALLER: Moises Ballesteros’ career OPS stands at 1.011. That is the highest, by 45 points, among the 44 players who debuted as Cubs since 1901 and through 45 games had at least 135 plate appearances, Ballesteros’ numbers. Ray Grimes is second, at .966. His 45 games were in 1921. Bob Speake is third, at .945 in 1955. The highest since then is .925, by Matt Murton in 2005, then .909 by Kyle Schwarber in 2015 and .897 by Ian Happ in 2017. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
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Edward Cabrera’s Cubs career has started out well. He’s allowed no more than three earned runs in any of his five starts (two unearned runs last Thursday helped force extras), and he’s allowed just two home runs in 29.2 innings.
His K rate is down a bit from last year, but as long as the team is getting results (they’ve won four of the five games he’s started), I’m not going to quibble with that.
The last time he faced the Padres, July 22, 2025 at Miami, he allowed one run in 5.2 innings, with no walks and six strikeouts. The Cubs probably need him to go a bit longer tonight, what with the current bullpen issues.
Walker Buehler was once one of the top starters in MLB, but injuries have pretty much ruined that. At age 31 he’s a reclamation project for the Padres, and it is not going well: 5.75 ERA, 1.623 WHIP in 20.1 innings over five starts. One of those starts was six scoreless vs. the Rockies. In the other four: 8.16 ERA, nine walks in 14.1 innings.
The last time he faced the Cubs was Sept. 9, 2024 in Los Angeles. He allowed nine hits and five runs in five innings. Michael Conforto has homered twice off him in 11 career at-bats.
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You’ll find the game preview, like this one, posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).
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