The Cubs head out west to take on the Dodgers after a very nice homestand. May the good times keep rolling, even after a long flight of flashy clothes.
Here’s the lineup against the Dodgers:
- Ben Zobrist, LF
- Kris Bryant, 3B
- Anthony Rizzo, 1B
- Ian Happ, CF
- Willson Contreras, C
- Jason Heyward, RF
- Javy Baez, 2B
- Addison Russell, SS
- Jake Arrieta, P
The big thing that immediately sticks out to me is the absence of Kyle Schwarber against another lefty starter. He’s not in a platoon situation just yet, but protecting him against tough lefties while he works through various adjustments might be a thing, especially when you consider there are at bats for Ian Happ, Javy Baez, and Ben Zobrist to go around. It’s hard to sit him against *all* lefties, though, if you want to see Schwarber improve on that front.
Dodgers lefty Alex Wood has been all universe this year, and actually even tougher on righties than lefties, but he’s had a more typical split for his career. Thus, the Cubs get plenty of righty bats in there tonight, including Willson Contreras, who’s hitting .313/.333/.563 over the last couple weeks.
As usual, we’ll have your full Pre-Gamin’ closer to game time (9:10pm CT).