The Chicago Cubs and Miami Marlins are set to meet on May 13, 2025, at Wrigley Field in a National League showdown between two clubs with very different trajectories at this stage of the season, as the Cubs look to continue their push atop the NL Central while the Marlins try to stop the bleeding after a brutal stretch that has seen them drop 11 of their last 14 games. Chicago enters the game at 23-18, boasting one of the league’s more balanced lineups and ranking fifth in MLB in runs scored with 233, an encouraging sign for a team that has built success on timely hitting, solid defense, and a pitching staff capable of keeping them in games even without dominant outings. The Cubs are expected to start right-hander Ben Brown, who holds a 3-3 record and a 4.95 ERA, and while he hasn’t consistently dominated, his ability to generate strikeouts and keep hitters off balance gives manager Craig Counsell reason for confidence, especially against a Marlins lineup that has struggled to find rhythm on the road. On the other side, the Marlins arrive in Chicago with a 15-23 record and little momentum, as their pitching has unraveled with a team ERA of 5.73 and their offense has failed to compensate for that weakness, averaging 4.4 runs per game in a scattershot fashion that’s rarely sustained through full series.

Rookie starter Valente Bellozo takes the mound for Miami, bringing an 0-2 record and a promising 3.50 ERA into the matchup, but he’ll face one of the National League’s more aggressive lineups, led by Kyle Tucker and Ian Happ, who have powered Chicago’s early-season surge with a mix of power and on-base ability. Defensively, the Cubs have played sharp baseball at Wrigley, backing up their pitchers with efficient positioning and limiting errors, while the Marlins have shown cracks, especially in high-leverage situations, where mental lapses and shaky bullpen work have cost them winnable games. Historically, the Cubs have fared well at home against Miami, posting a .658 winning percentage (25-13) at Wrigley Field since 2012, and given current form, there’s little to suggest that trend won’t continue unless Miami can deliver a far more complete performance than they’ve shown in recent weeks. If Chicago can continue its pattern of jumping out early and controlling tempo through the middle innings, the Cubs are well-positioned to take advantage of Miami’s rotation instability and capitalize on defensive miscues. For the Marlins, this game represents a critical opportunity to reset, and if Bellozo can pitch deep into the game and the lineup can break through early against Brown, they may have a chance to stay competitive—but if they fall behind early, as they have often, it could be another long night at the Friendly Confines. With divisional implications and postseason positioning already beginning to take shape, this game is a chance for the Cubs to tighten their grip on the NL Central lead and for the Marlins to show some much-needed fight before the season slips further out of reach.