The Chicago Cubs offense finally made some noise yesterday against the Brewers, but it was too little too late. They do like hitting in Cincinnati, though, especially Ian Happ. And today’s Cubs lineup is certainly geared to make an impact at the plate.
Chicago Cubs Lineup:
- Nico Hoerner, 2B
- Dansby Swanson, SS
- Ian Happ, LF
- Cody Bellinger, CF
- Trey Mancini, RF
- Patrick Wisdom, 3B
- Eric Hosmer, 1B
- Edwin Rios, DH
- Tucker Barnhart, C
With a righty back on the mound tonight, Bellinger moves back into the cleanup spot of the Cubs lineup. Until Seiya Suzuki returns, the Cubs are really going to need him to contribute offensively. If he doesn’t … woof. This lineup, man. So far, Bellinger’s got nothing but a walk in three games.
Patrick Wisdom is back in the Cubs lineup after hitting two homers yesterday, and I approve. He’s going to strike out plenty, and he’s probably not the defender at third he was two years ago, but he’s among the best nine offensive players the Cubs can muster right now, so … he’s gotta be in there. That choice pushes Nick Madrigal to the bench and opens up right field for Trey Mancini.
Also happy to see Edwin Rios in the lineup.
Cincinnati Reds Lineup:
- Jonathan India, 2B
- Spencer Steer, 3B
- Wil Myers, 1B
- Tyler Stephenson, DH
- Kevin Newman, SS
- Stuart Fairchild, LF
- Luke Maile, C
- Jose Barrero, CF
- TJ Friedl, RF
Pitching Matchup:
Cincinnati Reds: Connor Overton, RHP
I didn’t know much about Connor Overton before today, as the 29-year-old righty has tossed just 48.1 total innings in his career so far. From what I can tell, he’s a bit of a soft-tossing “pitchability” type, throwing either his four-seamer (91.4 MPH) or sinker (90.1 MPH) nearly 50% of the time. Beyond that, he’ll show a slider, change, and curve. Pretty meh arm on a cursory glance. The Cubs lineup has next to no history against Overton, however, which typically works in the pitchers’ favor.
Chicago Cubs: Drew Smyly, LHP
Drew Smyly is all set to make his 2023 debut for the Cubs this evening, coming off a bit of a rough final outing of the spring: 4.0 IP, 10H, 4ER, 2HR. The upshot there is that he was commanding the ball throughout the Cactus League (13Ks, 2 walks) and has generally been a pretty steady contributor *when healthy.*
Notable Matchups:
- Kevin Newman: 4-15, 2B, 3B, BB, K
- Jonathan India: 2-9, 3K
- Wil Myers: 1-7, HR, 4K
- Tyler Stephenson: 1-7, 2B, 2BB, 2K
How to Watch:
Chicago Cubs (1-2) vs Cincinnati Reds (2-1) at 5:40 CT on Marquee Sports Network, 670 The Score