NEWSLETTER
Later today, Alec Mills will make just his second start of the spring, following a scoreless first outing against the Indians on March 5th (2.0 IP, 1BB, 1K).
Given his age and years of remaining control, Mills, 29, is likely to take one of the rotation spots when Opening Day rolls around (so long as he’s healthy). But despite all the positives, he’s still got some serious issues to work through this season, particularly his struggles against left-handed batters, who crushed him to the tune of .275/.338/.551 last season. In fact, he faced more lefties (151 PAs) than righties (101 PAs) in 2020, which probably wasn’t a coincidence. In other words, it’s likely a well-known problem. With so many question marks in the rotation after 2021, you know the Cubs would love Mills to take a huge step forward this season and claim a spot, but it’s far from a guarantee.
On the offense side, the Cubs lineup is led by someone other than Ian Happ or Anthony Rizzo for the first time this spring, though the latter is still in the lineup batting cleanup. Eric Sogard takes leadoff duties, covering second base, and playing catchup for his delayed start to the spring. Along the same lines, Matt Duffy is back at third base today, and last night’s hero, Rafael Ortega, is out in center:
Cubs Win on a Walk-Off Grand Slam! Who Cares If It’s Spring Training?! (VIDEO) – https://t.co/Fazsf0x6fU pic.twitter.com/ZpTvaFKnTP
— Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation) March 9, 2021
Sadly, today’s game will not be televised and we won’t be back on Marquee until Friday, but you can catch the audio (from the Giants) at MLB.com and through the At-Bat app. Go Cubs.
Game Info
Chicago Cubs (6-2) at San Francisco Giants (2-4) – Wednesday, March 10th, at 2:05 CT (Giants audio only at MLB.com)
Starting Pitchers
Giants: Nick Tropeano (R)
versus
Cubs: Alec Mills (R)
Chicago Cubs:
1. Eric Sogard, 2B
2. Jason Heyward, RF
3. Javy Baez, SS
4. Anthony Rizzo, 1B
5. Cameron Maybin, LF
6. Rafael Ortega, CF
7. Matt Duffy, 3B
8. Trent Giambrone, DH
9. P.J. Higgins
San Francisco Giants:
1. Tommy La Stella, 1B
2. Mike Yastrzemski, RF
3. Donovan Solano, 2B
4. Wilmer Flores, 3B
5. Buster Posey, C
6. Evan Longoria, DH
7. Brandon Crawford, SS
8. LaMonte Wade Jr., LF
9. Jaylin Davis, CF
