Barstool Bush
Predictions

Athletics at Chicago Cubs

By Bush StaffUpdated 79d ago·2 min read
AthleticsATH(30-31)
Chicago CubsCHC(32-30)
6—7
FINAL
123456789RHE
ATH
000103200670
CHC
0000012047110

First pitch is 7:05 PM CT at Wrigley, and the Cubs hand the ball to Shota Imanaga (4-6, 4.37) coming off a 5-run dud in St. Louis. J.T. Ginn (3-3, 2.87) goes for the A's after spinning 6 shutout innings against the Yankees in his last start. Pinnacle has the Cubs at -130 with a total of 8.5 — a coin flip the home crowd would very much like to call correctly.

Athletics
J.T. Ginn
(5-3)·2.91 ERA
May 30 vs Yankees
W
6.0IP
0ER
4K
3BB
80P
06/04 Lineup
Chicago Cubs
Shota Imanaga
(4-6)·4.26 ERA
May 29 @ Cardinals
L
5.1IP
5ER
2K
1BB
75P
06/04 Lineup

It is hard to overstate how badly Chicago needs this one. The Cubs went 5-16 in May, fell apart down the stretch in Wednesday's 5-4 loss after blowing a late lead, and are now 32-30 staring at a sweep from a team they were supposed to roll over to kick off a soft stretch of the schedule. Craig Counsell has already shaken the lineup — Pete Crow-Armstrong has been mashing out of the 1/2 hole — but the bullpen leaks keep showing up at the worst possible time.

Athletics
Athletics
(30-31)
Jun 4W@ Cubs5-4
Jun 3W@ Cubs2-1
May 31Lvs Yankees8-13
May 31Wvs Yankees6-4
May 30Lvs Yankees2-8
Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
(32-30)
Jun 4Lvs Athletics4-5
Jun 3Lvs Athletics1-2
May 31L@ Cardinals1-5
May 30W@ Cardinals6-1
May 29L@ Cardinals5-6

The Athletics are playing with house money and a skeleton rotation. Luis Severino is shelved 4-to-6 weeks with a shoulder strain, Aaron Civale is just starting a throwing progression, and the lineup is still without Jacob Wilson and Max Muncy. None of that has mattered the last two nights. Ginn, meanwhile, is quietly putting together a real season — 2.87 ERA, coming off 6 zeros — and is the exact profile (strike-thrower, sinker-heavy) that has been giving the Cubs fits.

Athletics
Athletics
(8)
  • Day-To-DayLeo De Vries (SS) — De Vries went 3-for-5 with two solo home runs Sunday for Double-A Midland.05/30
  • 10-Day-ILMax Muncy (3B) — Muncy (hand) will serve as the designated hitter for Triple-A Las Vegas on Saturday, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.05/31
  • 10-Day-ILJacob Wilson (SS) — Wilson (shoulder) has been ramping up his baseball activities and could begin a rehab assignment next week, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.05/31
  • 15-Day-ILAaron Civale (SP) — Civale (shoulder) began a throwing progression Monday, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.06/03
  • 15-Day-ILLuis Severino (SP) — The Athletics announced Tuesday that Severino has been diagnosed with a strain of his right shoulder capsule and subscapularis muscle and will be re-evaluated in 4-to-6 weeks, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.06/03
  • 60-Day-ILBrooks Kriske (RP) — Kriske (shoulder) will be shut down from throwing for at least three weeks, Jason Burke of SI.com reports.06/02
  • 60-Day-ILDenzel Clarke (CF) — Clarke (hamstring) will receive a platelet-rich plasma injection Tuesday, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.05/27
  • 60-Day-ILGunnar Hoglund (SP) — Hoglund (knee/back) will be sidelined for the rest of the 2026 season after undergoing surgery on his left hip Monday.05/20
Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
(13)
  • Day-To-DayBrandon Birdsell (RP) — Birdsell (elbow) will miss the entire 2026 season, Jim Callis of MLB Pipeline reports.05/08
  • Day-To-DayJeff Brigham (RP) — Brigham was placed on the 7-day injured list at Triple-A St. Paul, retroactive to April 6, with a left oblique strain, TwinsDaily.com reports.05/08
  • Day-To-DayJaxon Wiggins (SP) — Cubs manager Craig Counsell said that Wiggins was placed on Triple-A Iowa's 7-day injured list Wednesday due to right elbow inflammation, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.05/08
  • 10-Day-ILMatt Shaw (RF) — Shaw (back) began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Iowa on Tuesday, going hitless in three plate appearances.06/03
  • 15-Day-ILEdward Cabrera (SP) — Cabrera (finger) will start Saturday's game against the Giants, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.06/02
  • 15-Day-ILMatthew Boyd (SP) — Boyd (knee) will make a rehab start with Triple-A Iowa on Saturday, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.06/02
  • 15-Day-ILRiley Martin (RP) — Martin has been diagnosed with flexor strain in his left elbow and is expected to miss eight weeks, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.05/08
  • 60-Day-ILHunter Harvey (RP) — The Cubs moved Harvey (triceps) from the 15-day IL to the 60-day IL on Sunday.05/17
  • 60-Day-ILJustin Steele (SP) — Manager Craig Counsell said Tuesday that Steele's (elbow) setback will keep him sidelined until after the All-Star break, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.05/08
  • 60-Day-ILPorter Hodge (RP) — The Cubs transferred Hodge (elbow) to the 60-day injured list Friday, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.05/08
  • 60-Day-ILShelby Miller (RP) — The Cubs placed Miller (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Sunday.05/08
  • 60-Day-ILCade Horton (SP) — The Cubs transferred Horton (elbow) to the 60-day injured list Saturday, Andy Martinez of Marquee Sports Network reports.05/08
  • 60-Day-ILTyler Austin (1B) — The Cubs placed Austin (knee) on the 60-day injured list Tuesday.05/08

Imanaga has to be the stopper. The Cubs were written off in March and he has carried a depleted staff most of the year, but the last start in St. Louis was the worst of it — 5 earned in 5.1, only 2 strikeouts. A bounce-back at home against an A's lineup that just put up 13 on the Yankees a week ago is the bar.

Pick your spot. The market thinks the Cubs are slight favorites and the total feels honest at 8.5 with Ginn on the mound. If Imanaga doesn't get to the 6th, this turns into another bullpen referendum — and Cubs fans have had plenty of those already.

Sources

MLBAthleticsChicago CubsPolymarketKalshiJ.T. GinnShota Imanaga