The Cubs won their road series against the Pirates and immediately won their first game back at Wrigley Field. Now, Yu Darvish takes the mound and looks to keep the good times rolling, both for him (he has been hot) and his team (… they’re alright).
Chicago Cubs Lineup:
- Jason Heyward, CF
- Nicholas Castellanos, RF
- Kris Bryant, 3B
- Anthony Rizzo, 1B
- Javy Baez, SS
- Kyle Schwarber, LF
- Ian Happ, 2B
- Victor Caratini, C
- Yu Darvish, P
With Darvish on the mound, Victor Caratini is back behind the plate, as he has been for most of Darvish’s starts this season. The two clearly work well together, and, of course, with Willson Contreras still out, Caratini is the “starting” catcher anyway.
That pairing works out especially well tonight, as Giants right-hander Dereck Rodriguez has had pretty significant splits throughout his career, meaning that lefties have traditionally gotten the better of him.
With Jason Heyward, Anthony Rizzo, Kyle Schwarber, Ian Happ, and Caratini, Rodriguez should have his hands full tonight.
As usual, we’ll have your full Pre-Gamin’ post closer to game time (7:05 CT).