Cubs vs A’s – Lineups, Pitching Matchup, How to Watch, Game Thread

April 17, 2023, by Michael Cerami Chicago Cubs

For the third time this season, the Chicago Cubs will look to move up to three games over .500 for the first time since June 30, 2021. I’m just going to keep bringing that up until they actually get over the hump. We can get excited about the hot start and the general rise up the power rankings all we want, but at some point, they need to break free and rattle off multiple wins in a row. And with three straight games against the A’s (two of which will be started by Marcus Stroman and Justin Steele), now feels like the time. Here’s a look at the Chicago Cubs lineup behind Hayden Wesneski in Oakland.

Chicago Cubs Lineup:

Nico Hoerner, 2B
Dansby Swanson, SS
Ian Happ, LF
Seiya Suzuki, RF
Trey Mancini, 1B
Patrick Wisdom, DH
Cody Bellinger, CF
Yan Gomes, C
Nick Madrigal, 3B

Another day, another start against a lefty (it’ll happen tomorrow, too, marking three in a row). The Cubs lineup tonight looks almost exactly the same as yesterday’s, with really just one difference: Patrick Wisdom is tonight’s designated hitter, leaving no room for Luis Torrens, while opening up third base for Nick Madrigal.

Madrigal has simply not been used a lot lately, but if he wasn’t in the lineup for the second straight game against a lefty, I would’ve been surprised. This is basically his only real opportunity to start at this point, so I guess it makes sense.

The Cubs really are one bat short of a no-brainer lineup everyday … I can think of someone who might be able to help.

Oakland A’s Lineup:

Esteury Ruiz, CF
Ryan Noda, 1B
Aledmys Diaz, 3B
Brent Rooker, LF
Tony Kemp, 2B
Jesus Aguilar, DH
Shea Langeliers, C
Conner Capel, RF
Kevin Smith, SS

Pitching Matchup:

Oakland Athletics: Kyle Muller, LHP

Kyle Muller’s overall results this season are obviously quite bad (5.52 ERA through three starts), but I don’t think he’s pitched quite that poorly. For example, he’s got an impressive 55.3% groundball rate, which doesn’t exactly bode well for the Cubs lineup, who’ve got the fifth highest groundball rate in MLB — though now that I look it up, it’s actually pretty great against lefties (40.8%). So maybe they’re okay there? Especially with Seiya Suzuki back in the lineup and Eric Hosmer on the bench against the lefty.

In any case, Muller is primarily a four-seamer/slider type, but he’ll mix in a curveball and changeup occasionally, as well. He doesn’t throw particularly hard and he’s been giving up a fair amount of hard contact this season.

Notable Matchups: N/A

Chicago Cubs: Hayden Wesneski, RHP

Hayden Wesneski has gotten off to a rotten start in 2023, throwing a COMBINED 6.0 IP through his first two starts with 5 earned runs and more walks (6) than strikeouts (4). Though at least his last blow up led to one of the most amazing Cubs comebacks of all-time.

But yes, these two games have been unlike any stretch we’ve seen from Wesneski in a Cubs uniform either last year or this spring, and I hope it ends soon. Fortunately for him, the A’s are a pretty weak lineup this season (96 wRC+, 20th in MLB). If he needed a soft landing, this would be the game to do it. I mean, former (short-term) Cub Tony Kemp is batting fifth.

Notable Matchups: N/A