NEWSLETTER
For the second time this season, the Chicago Cubs are going for their first series sweep of the year. They came up way short on Easter Sunday against the Rangers, but they’ve got some nice momentum after an extra-innings win on Monday and enormous comeback against the Mariners last night. Here’s a look at the Chicago Cubs lineup for the finale at Wrigley Field.
Chicago Cubs Lineup:
- Nico Hoerner, SS
- Nick Madrigal, 2B
- Ian Happ, LF
- Cody Bellinger, CF
- Trey Mancini, DH
- Eric Hosmer, 1B
- Patrick Wisdom, 3B
- Miles Mastrobuoni, RF
- Tucker Barnhart, C
Unsurprisingly, Dansby Swanson is not in the Cubs lineup this afternoon. In case you missed it, he came out of the game yesterday (after going 4-4 at the plate … by the 5th inning) with some cramping in his lower left side. The Cubs + Ross + Swanson are all hopeful it was just something small, but with a day game following a night game plus the off day tomorrow and late start on Friday, I think a day of rest is a very good idea, no matter how he was feeling.
Fortunately, the Cubs have Nico Hoerner available to slide over to shortstop and a natural second baseman, Nick Madrigal, to back fill Nico at second. Madrigal also replaces Swanson’s spot in the batting lineup (second), which … eh. I don’t love it, but I guess it keeps everyone else in place.
Though bigger bummer here – over the offensive impact – is the impact on defense. Swanson+Hoerner is vastly superior to Hoerner+Madrigal. And that stinks, because Marcus Stroman has been inducing a TON of groundballs this year (as he does). Hopefully, the drop off isn’t too big of an issue. And, hey, Stroman has struck out 30%+ of the batters he’s faced this season.
The frustrating decision today, however, is the non-start for Nelson Velázquez, who had a HUGE game yesterday in his first start of the year. Miles Mastrobuoni is back out in right, and I suspect people will be pretty peeved about it. Rightly.
Seattle Mariners Lineup:
- Julio Rodriguez, CF
- Ty France, 1B
- Eugenio Suarez, 3B
- Cal Raleigh, C
- Teoscar Hernandez, RF
- Jared Kelenic, LF
- Cooper Hummel, DH
- Kolten Wong, 2B
- JP Crawford, SS
Pitching Matchup:
Seattle Mariners: Logan Gilbert, RHP
Logan Gilbert, 25, has the most southpaw name ever. But he’s a righty! And so far this season, he’s been pretty good, striking out 13 batters over just 10.0 IP (two starts) allowing just 4 earned runs. Gilbert was pretty darn good last season, too, and presents a tough matchup for the Cubs lineup this afternoon.
Notable Matchups: N/A
Chicago Cubs: Marcus Stroman, RHP
The Cubs de facto ace, Marcus Stroman, has pitched more like a true ace through his first two starts of the season. He’s one of just five qualified starting pitchers who’ve yet to give up a run. In fact, he’s one of the only starting pitchers who’ve yet to give up a single barrel. Meanwhile, his 68% groundball rate is *elite* and he’s allowed just an average exit velocity of 85.8%. But the thing is Stroman has always been a good contact manager and groundball pitcher. The really interesting development (albeit one I can’t see continuing) is his 30%+ strikeout rate to start the season. That is extremely impressive. He’s been a little wild (13% walk rate), but the overall product has been so very good.
How to Watch:
Chicago Cubs (6-4) vs Seattle Mariners (4-8) at 1:20 CT on Marquee Sports Network, 670 The Score
