NEWSLETTER
The Cubs got a rest day yesterday, they’re back at home tonight, and they have another scheduled off-day in ten days. Yes, they’ll face the streaking Mets and the dominant Rays during this homestand, but that’s still good rest in their own beds. It’s time to get back on track. Here’s a look at the Chicago Cubs lineup for the first of nine straight games at Wrigley Field.
Chicago Cubs Lineup:
- Nico Hoerner, 2B
- Dansby Swanson, SS
- Ian Happ, LF
- Seiya Suzuki, RF
- Chris Morel, DH
- Mike Tauchman, CF
- Patrick Wisdom, 3B
- Yan Gomes, C
- Matt Mervis, 1B
Hey, David Ross… No notes. You made a good lineup. It’s a shame Cody Bellinger isn’t healthy and able to play center field. And it’s a shame Matt Mervis is quite hitting enough yet to flip spots with Mike Tauchman (though I still probably would roll those dice). But other than that, this is the way the lineup should look.
And when Bellinger returns, it should still look like this most days, with Belli in center field.
Now let’s go out there and win some games.
New York Mets Lineup:
- Brandon NImmo, CF
- Eduardo Escobar, 2B
- Francisco Lindor, SS
- Pete Alonso, 1B
- Mark Vientos, DH
- Starling Marte, RF
- Brett Baty, 3B
- Tommy Pham, LF
- Gary Sanchez, C
Pitching Matchup:
Chicago Cubs: Drew Smyly, LHP
Drew Smyly is coming off back-to-back quality starts against two pretty good teams in Houston and Minnesota (combined): 12.0 IP, 8H, 3ER, 1BB, 12K. And thanks to a stellar 4.60 K/BB ratio on the season, plus a 0.89 HR/nine, his overall FIP is among the top-25 in MLB. With that said, there has been some more hard contact lately, and he has some rough history against a few Mets batters:
New York Mets: Kodai Senga, RHP
Kodai Senga had a rough five-game stretch from April 14 through May 11 — against some pretty weak opponents, too (A’s, Giants, Nationals, Rockies, Reds) — but he had the best start of his big league career against the Best team in baseball his last time out: 6.0 IP, 3H, 1ER, 3BB, 12K against the Rays. So this Cubs lineup is going to have their work cut out for them tonight. Tonight, you can expect a healthy dose of Senga’s mid-90s fastball with a solid mix of his three secondaries (changeup, cutter, slider). And unsurprisingly, that slider is actually a sweeper (who doesn’t throw one these days?) with better-than-average vertical movement.
UPDATE: Mets decided last minute to swap Senga and Tylor Megill, who was scheduled to start tomorrow.
Broadcast Info:
Chicago Cubs (20-26) vs New York Mets (25-23) at 6:40 pm CT on MARQ, 670 The Score
