Cubs at Rangers Preview: Rocker Looks to Right Ship in Arlington

ARLINGTON, Texas (Interstat) — The Chicago Cubs, owners of the best record in the National League, open a three-game interleague series against the Texas Rangers on Friday night at Globe Life Park.

First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. CDT under cloudy skies and a temperature of 67 degrees.

Right-hander Kumar Rocker (1-3) takes the mound for the visiting Cubs, who enter with a 26-12 record. Rocker will be looking to rebound after a difficult start to the season. The Rangers counter with a pitcher to be announced later.

Texas brings a 17-20 record into the contest, having lost four of its last five games.

Chicago is coming off a 8-3 victory over Cincinnati on Thursday, a game in which left-hander Shota Imanaga delivered a dominant start: 6 innings, 6 hits, 1 earned run and 10 strikeouts. Imanaga is not scheduled to pitch Friday, but he remains a key figure for the Cubs. Over his last six starts, he has posted a 1.97 ERA with 42 strikeouts in 37.1 innings, including a 7-inning, 4-hit shutout of Arizona on May 2.

For Texas, shortstop Ezequiel Duran has been a bright spot in a struggling lineup. In his last 11 games, Duran is hitting .324 (11 for 34) with a home run and six RBIs. He went 1 for 3 with a two-run homer in Thursday’s 9-2 loss to the New York Yankees.

The Cubs have won eight of their last nine games overall. Their recent surge has been fueled by strong pitching and a deep lineup that produced 14 runs in the two-game sweep of the Reds this week.

The Rangers, meanwhile, have lost four of five and have scored three runs or fewer in seven of their last nine contests.

According to Interstat’s game simulator, the projected final score is Chicago 8, Texas 3. The Cubs have been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus-1.5, and the over/under has been set at 8.5 runs. Interstat’s ELO system gives Chicago a 57% probability of winning.

This is the first meeting of the season between the two clubs. The series continues with a game Saturday, followed by the finale Sunday, before both teams embark on extended road trips.