The Cubs are 27-13 and have basically forgotten how to lose. They've taken the first two of this series and now turn to Jameson Taillon to try and snag the sweep against a Rangers club sitting at 18-21 and watching the AL West pull away from them.
The catch: Texas hands the ball to Jacob deGrom, who is somehow back to being Jacob deGrom. He's at a 3.11 ERA, took a tough-luck loss to the Yankees on May 5, and there was a brief knee scare last week that imaging cleared up with no structural damage. So he's good to go, which is bad news for everybody else.
Taillon has been steady if unspectacular — 4.24 ERA, last time out he gave Chicago 7 innings of 3-run ball at San Diego. He doesn't need to outpitch deGrom. He just needs to keep the Cubs lineup, which has been the league's most consistent run-scoring group, in the game long enough to let the bullpen finish it.
Globe Life Field has played brutal on hitters in 2026 — balls that look gone die on the warning track. Pair that environment with deGrom on the mound and the total at 8 starts to feel generous. The market agrees: Texas is the moneyline favorite at home despite a sub-.500 record, which tells you exactly how much weight Vegas is putting on the pitching matchup.
- Day-To-DayBrandon Birdsell RP — Birdsell (elbow) will miss the entire 2026 season, Jim Callis of MLB Pipeline reports.
- 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.
- 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.
- 15-Day-ILHunter Harvey RP — Harvey was diagnosed with a stress reaction in his right triceps Friday, Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune reports.
- 15-Day-ILJordan Wicks RP — Wicks (elbow) struck out two batters and allowed one hit and one walk over three scoreless innings Saturday in a rehab start for Triple-A Iowa.
- 15-Day-ILMatthew Boyd SP — Boyd underwent a successful menisectomy Thursday, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.
- 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.
- 15-Day-ILCaleb Thielbar RP — The Cubs placed Thielbar on the 15-day injured list Friday with a left hamstring strain.
- Day-To-DaySebastian Walcott SS — Rangers GM Ross Fenstermaker said Tuesday that Walcott could be ready for game action in August, "if all things according to plan" in his rehab from the internal brace procedure he underwent on his right elbow, Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reports.
- 10-Day-ILCody Freeman 3B — Freeman (back) has resumed baseball activities, Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning News reports.
- 10-Day-ILWyatt Langford LF — Langford (forearm) rejoined the Rangers in Detroit on Saturday and will rest for a full week before being reevaluated by the team, Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reports.
- 10-Day-ILJosh Smith 2B — The Rangers placed Smith on the 10-day injured list Tuesday with a right glute strain.
- 15-Day-ILChris Martin RP — Martin (biceps) will throw live batting practice Saturday, Jeff Wilson of AllDLLS.com reports.
- 15-Day-ILRobert Garcia RP — Garcia (shoulder) began throwing from 80 feet out Friday, Jeff Wilson of AllDLLS.com reports.
- 15-Day-ILLuis Curvelo RP — The Rangers placed Curvelo on the 15-day injured list Wednesday with a right shoulder impingement, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.
- 15-Day-ILCarter Baumler RP — Baumler (intercostal) allowed one run on two hits over one inning in a rehab appearance at Triple-A Round Rock last Wednesday.
The Rangers are doing this without Wyatt Langford and Josh Smith, which thins out a lineup that already wasn't scaring anyone. The Cubs rotation is a triage unit — Steele, Boyd, Horton all on the shelf — but the offense and bullpen have papered over it just fine for 6 weeks. Until somebody actually beats them on the road, you have to back them here too.