Even after a three-game losing streak, the Cubs have a chance to come out of this West Coast road trip 3-3 (which, personally, I gladly would have taken all along). To do it, they’ll have to win tonight and then again tomorrow.
First, the tonight part.
Jon Lester looks to follow up on his great outing against the Indians earlier this week, but he’ll have to do it without his regular catcher behind the plate. David Ross is still out on family emergency medical leave (hope everything is going OK), so it’ll be Miguel Montero catching Lester. The two have worked together once before when Ross was out, and all went fine. If that’s the case again tonight, then the Cubs not only get effective Lester, they get another lefty bat into the lineup against a righty.
How about this? For the first time this year, Addison Russell is hitting somewhere other than 9th in a lineup that otherwise looks like the “normal” lineup. He’s batted up in the 6/7 range before, but only when someone was filling in to rest someone (and that someone filling in made more sense at the bottom of the order). Here, Tommy La Stella is very likely the regular strong side of the second base platoon, and now he’s batting 9th. I’m guessing that could be a new normal.
Best of luck to Russell with Lester batting behind him. Make sure you’re extra patient, young man.
Game Info
Los Angeles Dodgers (71-56) at Chicago Cubs (73-54), 8:10 CT on WGN-9 (or your local affiliate), MLBN and MLB.tv.
Game Thread and Series Preview
Your game thread is down there in the comments, so have fun.
The Series Preview lives here.
Starting Pitchers
Not Clayton Kershaw or Madison Bumgarner or Corey Kluber But Kinda Jake Peavy-ish(4.81 ERA, 3.53 FIP, 3.68 xFIP; 3.11 K/BB)
versus
Jon Lester (3.44 ERA, 3.13 FIP, 3.11 xFIP; 3.98 K/BB)
Los Angeles Dodgers Lineup
1. Jimmy Rollins, SS
2. Enrique Hernandez, CF
3. Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
4. Justin Turner, 3B
5. Scott Van Slyke, RF
6. Carl Crawford, LF
7. A.J. Ellis, C
8. Jose Peraza, 2B
9. Mat Latos, P
Chicago Cubs Lineup
1. Dexter Fowler, CF
2. Kyle Schwarber, LF
3. Chris Coghlan, RF
4. Anthony Rizzo, 1B
5. Kris Bryant, 3B
6. Miguel Montero, C
7. Addison Russell, SS
8. Jon Lester, P
9. Tommy La Stella, 2B