The Chicago Cubs welcome the Los Angeles Dodgers to Wrigley Field on Tuesday, August 4, for a 8:05 PM ET first pitch that pits two of the National League's most recognizable rosters against each other. Javier Assad gets the ball for Chicago, while Tarik Skubal — who made his name as one of the American League's premier starters before landing in Los Angeles — takes the hill for the Dodgers. This is a marquee mid-summer matchup with real implications, and the ivy-covered walls on the North Side will be rocking for it.

Pitching Matchup: Assad vs. Skubal

Assad has carved out a legitimate role in the Cubs rotation, relying on a diverse arsenal and the ability to generate weak contact. He'll need every bit of that craft Tuesday, because the Dodgers lineup has almost no soft spots from top to bottom. Skubal, meanwhile, is a left-hander with premium stuff, and Chicago's lineup will need to be disciplined from the jump if they want to do damage early before the Los Angeles bullpen takes over.

Cubs Starting Lineup

• Pete Crow-Armstrong, CF
• Seiya Suzuki, RF
• Alex Bregman, DH
• Michael Busch, 1B
• Nico Hoerner, 2B
• Tyrone Taylor, LF
• Dansby Swanson, SS
• Pedro Ramírez, 3B
• Miguel Amaya, C

Dodgers Starting Lineup

• Shohei Ohtani, DH
• Andy Pages, CF
• Freddie Freeman, 1B
• Max Muncy, 3B
• Mookie Betts, SS
• Kyle Tucker, RF
• Teoscar Hernández, LF
• Tommy Edman, 2B
• Ben Rortvedt, C

Keys to Watch

Can Assad Contain the Top of the Dodgers Order?

Shohei Ohtani leading off is a nightmare scenario for any starting pitcher. Assad has to mix his looks, work the count carefully, and not let Ohtani and Andy Pages set the table for Freeman and Muncy in the middle of the lineup. One crooked inning could balloon in a hurry against this group.

Crow-Armstrong Sets the Tone at the Top

Pete Crow-Armstrong leading off for Chicago is the right call. He brings speed and the ability to create chaos on the basepaths, which is exactly what the Cubs need to put early pressure on Skubal. If PCA gets on base in the first, Chicago can build something before Skubal settles in.

Bregman vs. Left-Handed Pitching

With Alex Bregman slotted in at DH and hitting third, the Cubs are leaning on his experience in high-leverage spots. Bregman has seen elite left-handed pitching throughout his career, and how he handles Skubal will go a long way toward determining whether Chicago's middle of the order produces.

Pedro Ramírez Gets a Big Stage

The young third baseman hitting eighth gets an education tonight. Seeing Skubal — and then whatever the Dodgers bring out of the bullpen — is exactly the kind of challenge that accelerates development. Watch how Ramírez adjusts his approach his second time through the order.

Prediction

This is a difficult night for the Cubs on paper. The Dodgers lineup is one of the deepest in baseball, and Skubal is a legitimately difficult left-hander to square up. Assad needs to be sharp and efficient, keeping pitch counts down so he can work into the fifth or sixth. If Chicago can scratch out runs against Skubal early and keep the game within reach into the later innings, their bullpen gives them a puncher's chance. The edge goes to Los Angeles, but Wrigley in August is never a comfortable place for a visiting team. Cubs 3, Dodgers 5.

Catch all the action on Marquee Sports Network locally, or on TBS for the national broadcast. Radio coverage is on 104.3 The Score.