If the Cubs bullpen was able to shut the Brewers down yesterday, securing a 1-0 win, the Cubs’ lineup wouldn’t be in any better shape than it is now. But because they blew it, the light is shined on them a little brighter, and what we see is … well, not great!
That said, we’re talking about two games – one of which was cold/rainy – against, frankly, two of the better starting pitchers the Cubs will see all season. Corbin Burnes is a legitimate Cy Young threat and Brandon Woodruff is about as legit of a #2 as they get. The Cubs lineup has ENORMOUS holes even when Seiya Suzuki is healthy, but those starters are not easy for any group.
Chicago Cubs Lineup:
- Nico Hoerner, 2B
- Dansby Swanson, SS
- Ian Happ, LF
- Trey Mancini, 1B
- Yan Gomes, C
- Cody Bellinger, CF
- Patrick Wisdom, RF
- Luis Torrens, DH
- Nick Madrigal, 3B
Eric Lauer is on the mound for the Brewers this afternoon, and he’s the first lefty the Cubs have faced this season. With that, a few changes to the lineup. While the top-three remains the same, Trey Mancini bats cleanup, where Cody Bellinger had been hitting. Bellinger, who has actually had a fair amount of success against Lauer, bats sixth. Yan Gomes is back in behind the plate, sandwiched between the two of them, even though Tucker Barnhart has 4 hits (including a double) in 8 at-bats against Lauer for his career.
As expected (I think this will be the case against all righties this season): Eric Hosmer and Edwin Rios are on the bench, while Patrick Wisdom and Nick Madrigal are in right and third base, respectively. Unfortunately, that leaves Torrens to DH. It’s pretty clear how badly the Cubs could use Seiya Suzuki right about now.
Milwaukee Brewers Lineup:
- Christian Yelich, LF
- Jesse Winker, DH
- Willy Adames, SS
- Rowdy Tellez, 1B
- Brian Anderson, 3B
- Garrett Mitchell, CF
- Victor Caratini, C
- Brice Turang, 2B
- Joey Wiemer, RF
Pitching Matchup:
Milwaukee Brewers: Eric Lauer, LHP
Lefty Eric Lauer faced the Cubs four times last season, one in Chicago, where they chased him in just 4.0 innings, and three times in Milwaukee, where he kinda shoved: 18.0 IP, 13H, 6ER, 7BB, 24Ks.
Lauer has pretty extreme reverse splits, meaning that fellow lefties hit him better than righties (perhaps explaining some of Cody Bellinger’s nice numbers against him). But note that lefties have had a terrible time elevating against Lauer (32 FB%) compared to righties (42.3%). So maybe look to the righties in the Cubs lineup for power today. Maybe Swanson’s first dinger?
Notable Matchups:
- Bellinger: 5-17, 2 2Bs, HR, 2BB, 4K
- Happ: 4-11, 2 2Bs, 3B, BB, 5K
- Barnhart: 4-8, 2B, 3K
- Hoerner: 2-12, HR, 2K
Chicago Cubs: Jameson Taillon, RHP
Jameson Taillon is making his Cubs regular season debut today. If you missed it, he signed a four-year, $68 million deal with the Cubs this offseason, so he’s going to be around for a while. Let’s hope it gets off to a nice start. He doesn’t have much history against these Brewers. And he’s got a new sweeper to deploy.
Notable Matchups:
- Yelich: 7-17, 2B, HR, BB, 3K
- Winker: 4-16, 2B, HR, 2BB, 5K
How to Watch:
Chicago Cubs (1-1) vs Milwaukee Brewers (1-1) at 1:20 CT on Marquee Sports Network, 670 The Score