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Miami Marlins Series Preview: Marlins Visit Windy City, Chicago Cubs

By Ehsan Kassim |
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Jun 24, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; A general view of the sunset behind Wrigley Field during the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

Jose Fernandez is back and the Miami Marlins swept the defending World Champion San Francisco Giants. That’s a great for a team that recently dipped to 15 games below .500 for the season. 

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Now that the team is on a hot streak, it’s time for them to maintain it and hope that a miraculous run can get them back into the playoff picture. But that’s probably asking a lot, especially with slugger Giancarlo Stanton out right now, with a broken bone in his hitting hand.

Next up for Miami? A fourth of July weekend trip to Chicago, the Windy City, to take on the Chicago Cubs.

Coming into the series at 42-35, 8.5 games behind the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Central and with a 9.5 game lead on the Miami Marlins for the second wild card spot.

We sat down with the Editor of FanSided’s Cubs site Cubbies Crib, Jacob Misener to get acquainted with his Cubs, as they prepare for the season’s second and final meeting with the Marlins in 2015.

Here are the questions I answered for Jacob on Cubbies Crib.

Click “Next” to check out the chat we had.

Next: Meet the Cubs

Jun 30, 2015; New York City, NY, USA; Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon (70) celebrates with Starlin Castro (13) after defeating the New York Mets at Citi Field. The Cubs defeated the Mets 1 – 0. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports

Marlin Maniac: Joe Maddon and Jon Lester were obviously the Cubs biggest offseason moves. How have they panned out early on in Chicago? Has your perception of either changed watching them close up as opposed to from afar?

Jacob Misener: Lester hasn’t pitched well consistently, but as we saw in his last start (seven shutout innings) – he’s more than capable of being the ace the team hoped for when they threw $155 million at him last winter.

Maddon is still working with the team, as a whole. However, his quirky approach was on full-display this week when he brought in a professional magician to lighten the mood after the team lost five-straight.

Oh, and it worked. Chicago has since run off three-straight wins, sweeping the seven-game season series from the Mets.

MM: Obviously the youth movement has hit Chicago with a bounty of top hitting prospects hitting the city. How have Kris Bryant and company done so far? What is the ceiling for this team offensively?

JM: Bryant and Russell have cooled of late, but both still have tremendously high ceilings.

Russell is known more for his defensive work (with good reason), but Bryant could very well be an annual 40-homer guy in the heart of the Chicago order for the rest of the decade.

With youth comes ups-and-downs. But make no mistake, the talent is there and these two are too well-rounded to be kept down for long.

MM: Are the Cubs going to be buyers at the trade deadline? If so, what are they specifically targeting? Is Starlin Castro on the block?

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JM: Chicago has been tied to starting pitching. The Cole Hamels rumors continue to swirl, but someone more like Scott Kazmir appears more likely.

The back end of the rotation has not been good this season and addressing that, and perhaps adding some depth in the bullpen will be the team’s focus this summer and this offseason.

Castro, like most players on the roster not named Bryant, Rizzo, Russell or Lester, is available for the right price. But given he’s been solid again this season and he’s on a team-friendly deal, the asking price no-doubt remains high.

MM: Do you think the Cubs make the post-season this year?

JM: If Chicago makes the postseason, it’s as a Wild Card team.

I love the Cubs. I’m a diehard fan. But I’m realistic. What we’re witnessing in St. Louis is history. Mike Matheny‘s team is on-pace for 107 wins this year and, simply put, the Cubs aren’t that good.

They’ll win 85, 86 games. But it’ll come down to staying competitive against division rivals like Pittsburgh and St. Louis. Do that, and we’ll see you in the playoffs.

MM: How did the Cubs do in the draft last month and how did the first day of the International Signing go for the club. Is the farm system still in good shape after all the recent promotions?

JM: Chicago landed five of the top 30 prospects in the first day of the international signing period – and, as we’ve seen, this organization is quite adept at adding global talent (Jorge Soler, etc).

In terms of the farm system, there’s still plenty to love: right-hander C.J. Edwards, the Cubs’ only top 10 prospect who is not a position player, Kyle Schwarber, Billy McKinney and Dan Vogelbach, to name a few.

Also, keep an eye on Eloy Jimenez, who could very well steal the show in the years to come.

Next: Pitching Matchups and Predictions

Jun 25, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo (44) hits a double against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the fifth inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

MM: Can you give us a quick scouting report on the pitchers the Marlins will face this series? 

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JM: Chicago hasn’t announced the starters for the final two games of the series, but in the opener, they’ll face veteran right-hander Jason Hammel.

Hammel, who was dealt to Oakland with Jeff Samardzija last summer in the Addison Russell deal, has been stellar in 2015, improving his ERA over the course of the season (3.55, 2.57, 2.80 month-by-month).

If he locates pitches well, you’ll see a lot of weak contact from Marlins hitters. If he leaves pitches up in the zone, as we’ve seen on occasion, things can get dicey fast.

MM: How do you see the series playing out? Any bold predictions?

JM: Well, if we want bold, I’ll go out on a major limb.

The Cubs sweep the series and push their winning streak to six games before it’s all said and done.

Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant break out, each homering in the series, while Miguel Montero starts to heat up again. Hammel turns in a quality start and Donn Roach (who will likely pitch either Saturday or Sunday) gets his first big league win of the season.

~~~~~

That just about does it for our Cubs series primer. A big thanks to Jacob Misener for taking the time to answer our questions, and make sure to check out Cubbies Crib for all your Chicago Cubs coverage. You can follow Jacob and Cubbies Crib -on Twitter as well.

Follow Marlin Maniac on Twitter @MarlinManiac for all your Miami Marlins news, opinion and analysis!

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