NEWSLETTER
Javier Assad came up to make his big league debut against the Cardinals last week, and while it wasn’t a perfect appearance, it was a useful outing in a pinch: 4.0 scoreless innings with just 4 hits.
Assad was a little wild (4 walks), but he also got an impressive 9 whiffs on 85 pitches, most of which came from his four-seamer (4).
Assad’s first big league strikeout strikeout came against Albert Pujols (Cubs.com): “It’s something that I never would have imagined,” Assad said via team translator Will Nadal on Tuesday afternoon. “Pujols is a great player. We all know the historic player that he is. I was 3 years old when he debuted. So I never would’ve imagined that I would’ve been facing him — let alone getting that strikeout.”
Fun stuff.
Assad has a tough matchup ahead of him, however, with the righty Jose Berríos on the mound for Toronto.
Berríos is coming off back-to-back solid outings with a combined 12.2 IP and just 3 earned runs, plus 15Ks to 2 walks — and that was the Red Sox and Yankees. However, that came on the heels of two disastrous outings against the Guardians and Twins with a combined 7.2 IP and 13 earned runs plus more walks (4) than strikeouts (2).
You’ll be hard pressed to find a more up-and-down stretch than that. Hopefully, he’s back off his game and the Cubs can steal Game 1 tonight.
Game Info
Chicago Cubs (55-73) at Toronto Blue Jays (68-58) – Monday, August 29 at 6:07 CT on MARQ, 670 The Score
Starting Pitchers
Blue Jays: Jose Berríos, RHP
Cubs: Javier Assad, RHP
Chicago Cubs (Lineup Discussion):
- Nick Madrigal, 2B
- Willson Contreras, C
- Ian Happ, LF
- Seiya Suzuki, RF
- Franmil Reyes, DH
- Nico Hoerner, SS
- Rafael Ortega, CF
- Alfonso Rivas, 1B
- Chris Morel, 3B
Toronto Blue Jays:
- George Springer, CF
- Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 1B
- Lourdes Gurriel Jr., LF
- Alejandro Kirk, DH
- Bo Bichette, SS
- Cavan Biggio, 2B
- Matt Chapman, 3B
- Raimel Tapia, RF
- Danny Jansen, C
