I have to say, after yesterday’s comeback win and the recent returns of Addison Russell, Ben Zobrist, Jason Heyward, and, now, Kyle Schwarber, I’m feeling pretty good, pretty ambitious.
Plus, the first-place Brewers are back in town for a one-game make-up, so I’m ready for some meaningful baseball action in July.
Here’s the Cubs lineup for today:
- Jon Jay, CF
- Kris Bryant, 3B
- Anthony Rizzo, 1B
- Ian Happ, 2B
- Kyle Schwarber, LF
- Willson Contreras, C
- Jason Heyward, RF
- Javy Baez, SS
- Mike Montgomery, P
With Mike Montgomery on the mound, Willson Contreras catches his fifth game in a row and bats right behind Kyle Schwarber. If you follow me on Twitter (@Michael_Cerami), you’ll know that I’ve loved what I’ve seen from Contreras at the plate lately, as he continues to develop into a legitimate offensive force.
He’s currently working on a three-game hitting streak with five hits, including a double and a home run. And since June 16th, Contreras is slashing .321/.387/.679 with five homers and a 173 wRC+. That’s awesome. He’s awesome. I’m not one to believe much in lineup protection, but if you do, it’s hard to hate Schwarber batting in front of that.
The other notable bits include more Jon Jay in the lineup and in the leadoff role, as well as Addison Russell taking a day off. Javy Baez takes Russell’s spot, as usual, and he too has been hot lately. Check out the production in his last 56 plate appearances: .327/.375/.462 (113 wRC+). It’s hard to take that bat (and glove) out of the lineup. Alright Cubs, big game today. Go win it.
As usual, we’ll have your full Pre-Gamin’ closer to game time (1:20 CT).