Cubs wary of MLB's high-scoring history in London
The Cubs have a built-in tour guide for their trip to London.
The first MLB journey to the UK in 2019 featured the Yankees against the Red Sox, and Mike Tauchman made the trip with the Yankees. He was a late-inning defensive replacement for Aaron Judge in both contests.
"I wouldn't say that I'm an expert," Tauchman said this week. "I had a great time last time. It's a really cool experience. We're staying in a different spot this time than we stayed last time, so I think we'll be able to see a couple different things, so really looking forward to it."
What stood out more than anything else in those 2019 games was the scoring. The Yankees won 17-13 and 12-8, with the teams hitting a combined 10 home runs. The score was 6-6 after the first inning of the first game.
"The ball seemed to be carrying pretty well," Tauchman said. "The fans were great, though. They packed it in both days and obviously they're extremely passionate about their sports over there and I thought they brought some of that energy to our games as well."
MLB made some adjustments to the layout. The center field fence was pushed back to 392 feet, 7 feet further than in 2019. The alleys were stretched from 382 to 387 feet. There is also less foul ground this time.
There's been speculation the biggest reason those games became a home run derby is because having stands surrounding the entire field keeps the wind from being a factor. The games are held at London Stadium, built for the 2012 Olympics and the home of soccer club West Ham United.
The players used Thursday as a sightseeing day, then held batting practice at the stadium Friday. The Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals will play a pair of games Saturday and Sunday.
"The ball is flying in BP, for sure," Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner noted, "and the turf is fast and bouncy."
Saturday's pitching matchup will feature Justin Steele against Adam Wainwright at noon Central time.
The Cubs adjusted the rotation to go with the hot hand on Sunday and send Marcus Stroman against Jack Flaherty in a 9 a.m. start.
"As far as the game goes, I'm just going to treat it as a normal day," Steele said before leaving town. "Obviously take in the sights and the sounds of playing somewhere I've never been before."
Asked what he's looking forward to seeing the most, Steele said, "I'm a foodie, so I'm excited to try some food over there."
London is not typically known as a culinary destination, but Steele was undeterred.
"We're going to find out," he said.
Tauchman mentioned the Tower of London as a highlight of the 2019 trip.
"I'm sure my 16-year daughter's got a lot of things I'm going to have to do," Cubs manager David Ross said. "She sent me a couple things on Instagram that seem to be on the bucket list that I've got to do."
This feels like a key time in the NL Central. The Cincinnati Reds moved into first place and carried an 11-game win streak into Friday's game against Atlanta. The Cubs (36-38) have won 10 of 12 and jumped past Pittsburgh into third place. The Cardinals (31-44) are trying to hang on after a disappointing start to the season.
"Whenever we meet, they're always good games," Ian Happ said on MLBTV.
During a fan event at a London pub on Thursday, chairman Tom Ricketts talked as if the Cubs are in the playoff race to stay.
"Obviously, we're buyers right now," Ricketts said. "Things can come off the rails, but I don't think they will. I think what we have is a core that can compete for the division and compete for the playoffs and now it's finding the missing parts to add to it."
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