Cubs Will Take Opener From Yankees At Wrigley

Yankees vs. Cubs, 2:20 ET

When it comes to baseball, there are a few teams that have a history unlike any others. Sure, there are familiar favorites in your city or town, but for the most part you grow up learning about a great player and then as you get to know the history of the game, a few teams stand out above the rest. Of course, names like the Red Sox and Dodgers are there, but in my mind, there are two franchises that are top of mind for baseball - the Yankees and Cubs. The Yankees, synonymous with winning, and the Cubs with losing, they still are franchises that garner attention and excitement, especially when they square off as they do today at Wrigley Field.

It isn't every day that the new Sultan of Swat walks into the visiting clubhouse at Wrigley Field, but that certainly will take place today as Aaron Judge dons the Yankees road gray and steps into the batters box. The man is worth the price of admission and has helped the Yankees get to 20 games over .500 at this point in the season. There is still a lot of work to be done as the Yankees have their eyes on postseason glory once again. They haven't locked up a playoff spot, but that will come around the middle of the month, and the division will be figured out in due time. What has been locked up is the AL MVP race with Judge producing another monster year. Pitching has been a bit of a concern for the Yankees this season, but they've gotten good efforts out of today's starter, Luis Gil. So far, Gil has produced a 12-6 record with a 3.39 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP. While those last two numbers don't qualify for league leader in the categories, they would be in the upper-50 if he had enough innings. He hasn't pitched since August 20th when he allowed three runs in three innings to the Guardians - a game that saw him walk six hitters and throw almost 80 pitches. Gil is certainly talented, but coming back from injury is a challenge and you never know how cautious a team will be, especially when the Yankees have bigger plans for playing deep into October. 

Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

The Cubs are still looking to sneak into the playoffs. I said earlier in this season that it could be a problem for other teams if the Cubs make it. They have three arms that could be difficult to deal with assuming Justin Steele, Javier Assad, and Shota Imanga are all healthy. They have a strong bullpen, and if their offense is operating efficiently, they are a solid enough team to get hot and continue to advance through the playoffs. The problem is that they still need to find that path into the playoffs. As it stands now, they are four games back of the Mets/Braves who are tied for the final spot. The Cubs don't own the tiebreaker against either team so they need to have a great September and make up a lot of ground. In other words, they can't afford to lose too many games. Today they send out Jordan Wicks to the bump in hopes of taking the opener against the Yankees. Wicks also recently came back from injury and has one start under his belt, going five innings and allowing just one earned run against the Nationals. Overall for the season, he is 2-2 with a 3.82 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP. 

History aside, both teams are still playing for something and playing meaningful baseball in September. That's a good start to the interest in this game. The Yankees have the better team, and there are always warm and fuzzy feelings flying around the ballpark when Anthony Rizzo steps to the plate. All of that needs to be put away here so we can focus on the game. And, in this one, I'm willing to fade the guy that is returning from injury. The Yankees have the better team, and if Gil had made a couple of starts, I'd say the better pitcher. I'm taking the Cubs here though to win this one. 

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