NEWSLETTER
And now we’re onto the back-half of the day-night double-header with the Cardinals at Wrigley Field. The Cubs won the opener behind a good-enough performance from rookie starterJavier Assad (4.0 scoreless) and a shutdown performance from the bullpen (5.0 scoreless).
Now, it’s time to hand the ball over to Adrian Sampson, who’s coming off a 5.2 scoreless innings start against the Orioles in Baltimore with six strikeouts against just four hits and two walks. Sampson has faced the Cardinals once already this season, his first start of the year, keeping them to 2ER on four hits and two walks over 5.0 innings.
A repeat performance like that would do just swell tonight.
Jake Woodford is “starting” tonight’s game against the Cubs, but he’ll likely be more of an opener than a starter, as he threw 1.1 innings on Sunday night. I think the plan would have been to let him go longer (his last couple outings in the Minors were 6.0 innings each), but obviously that’s less likely now. And it doesn’t hurt that the Cardinals needed to use just ONE reliever between their first two games against the Cubs.
Woodford has faced the Cubs twice this season, both times as a reliever (combined): 3.2 IP, 5H, 3ER, 2BB, 1K. He’s primarily a sinker-slider righty, who mixes in a 92 MPH four-seamer with the occasional curveball and changeup (just to keep hitters off balance).
Go Cubs.
Game Info
St. Louis Cardinals (70-52) at Chicago Cubs (53-69) – Tuesday, August 23 at 7:05 CT on MARQ, 670 The Score
Starting Pitchers
Cardinals: Jake Woodford, RHP
Cubs: Adrian Sampson, RHP
Chicago Cubs (Lineup Discussion):
- Nick Madrigal, 2B
- Ian Happ, LF
- Seiya Suzuki, RF
- Franmil Reyes, DH
- Nico Hoerner, SS
- Patrick Wisdom, 1B
- P.J. Higgins, C
- Nelson Velázquez, CF
- Chris Morel, 3B
St. Louis Cardinals:
- Lars Nootbaar, RF
- Brendan Donovan, 3B
- Paul Goldschmidt, 1B
- Nolan Arenado, DH
- Nolan Gorman, 2B
- Tyler O’Neill, CF
- Corey Dickerson, LF
- Andrew Knizer, C
- Tommy Edman, SS
