The Cubs and Giants will play their entire season series over the next 10 days, three this weekend at Wrigley Field and three next weekend in San Francisco.
Thanks, schedule-makers.
For more on the Giants, here’s Brady Klopfer, manager of our SB Nation Giants site McCovey Chronicles.
There’s no way to paint the Giants season as anything other than a fiasco. With the exception of Luis Arráez, who is having a renaissance on both sides of the ball, Buster Posey’s offseason moves have been a disaster. Harrison Bader, who is on the IL, has spent more time injured than healthy, and hasn’t hit when healthy. Tyler Mahle and Adrian Houser both have bloated ERAs, though neither will face the Cubs in this series (Mahle is on the IL, and Houser pitched on Thursday). And new manager Tony Vitello, straight to the Majors following a stellar run in the college ranks, has had his fair share of learning moments. Add in disappointing seasons from most of their core players – Matt Chapman, Willy Adames, Rafael Devers, Patrick Bailey (who has been traded), and Logan Webb (who is finally figuring it out) – and it’s been a season absent of much optimism, with the Giants occupying the bottom of the standings all year long.
But there have been some bright spots, especially lately. Top prospect Bryce Eldridge is on fire, and looks like he could anchor the lineup for the next decade. Casey Schmitt is actualizing his potential and has been such an offensive force that the former Minor League Gold Glove winner at third base became the everyday left fielder when Heliot Ramos suffered an injury, despite having never trained at the position before (and, hilariously, ordering a wrong-handed glove on Amazon). Landen Roupp has been a strong starter, and Jung Hoo Lee is hotter than hot, with a 12-game hitting streak during which time he’s hitting nearly .500. As a whole, the Giants have finally started hitting, and have been one of the better offensive teams in baseball lately, after a horific start. Still, they dug a big enough hole that the rest of 2026 is likely about preparing for 2027. They’re still playing their veterans heavily and chasing wins, but you can expect a pretty big fire sale next month.
Fun facts
A sweep of the three-game series would raise the Cubs’ victory total against the Giants to 750 since 1920, first year of the Live Ball Era. They have lost 829 and tied six.
They are 1,091-1,168-29 in all games since the rivalry began in 1883 and 355-387-2 since 1958, the Giants’ first season in San Francisco.
At home, the Cubs are 603-533 overall and 192-182 since 1958.
The Cubs won their first game against the Giants last year, at Wrigley Field, then lost the next two at home and all three at San Francisco. They split four games at Wrigley in 2024 and swept three in 2023.
(Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
Probable pitching matchups
Friday: Edward Cabrera, RHP (3-2, 4.00 ERA, 1.352 WHIP, 4.45 FIP) vs. Robbie Ray, LHP (3-6, 4.45 ERA, 1.404 WHIP, 5.40 FIP)
Saturday: Ben Brown, RHP (2-2, 1.92 ERA, 0.929 WHIP, 2.23 FIP) vs. Landen Roupp, RHP (5-6, 4.22 ERA, 1.313 WHIP, 2.82 FIP)
Sunday: Jameson Taillon, RHP (2-5, 5.13 ERA, 1.260 WHIP, 6.33 FIP) vs. Trevor McDonald, RHP (2-3, 4.50 ERA, 1.147 WHIP, 3.66 FIP)
Times & TV channels
Friday: 1:20 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network, MLB Network (outside the Cubs and Giants market territories)
Saturday: 1:20 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network
Sunday: 7:30 p.m. CT, NBC (full national broadcast, no blackouts), also streaming on Peacock
Prediction
The Cubs had better win at least two of three or it’s gonna be a long summer. And yes, I think they can do that.
Up next
The Cubs have Monday off, then begin a road trip with a three-game series against the Colorado Rockies in Denver beginning Tuesday evening.
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