The Cubs have themselves a rubber match against the Cardinals this afternoon, with a couple of recently injured starting pitchers, Alec Mills and Jack Flaherty, taking the mound. Here’s David Ross’ lineup for Game 3 in St. Louis.
Chicago Cubs Lineup:
- Christopher Morel, CF
- Rafael Ortega, RF
- Willson Contreras, DH
- Ian Happ, LF
- Patrick Wisdom, 3B
- Nico Hoerner SS
- Yan Gomes, C
- Alfonso Rivas, 1B
- David Bote, 2B
SP: Alec Mills, RHP
For the second day in a row, Jason Heyward is not in the Cubs starting lineup while Rafael Ortega (who’s been swinging a hot bat for like two months now) is. I don’t know if we’re finally starting to see the change we’ve been expecting between those two, or if it’s completely coincidental. Either way, I don’t want to jinx it. Remember, the trade deadline is coming up, and Ortega could theoretically be a useful target for teams looking for a fourth outfielder who can hit righties.
Other than that, Contreras is the DH, Gomes is behind the plate, and David Bote is getting his first start at second since returning from the IL.
As usual, we’ll have your full Pre-Gamin’ post closer to game time (1:15 CT).