NEWSLETTER
The Cubs lineup — loaded with bench players lefties — never stood a chance against Yu Darvish yesterday. He shut them out over 7.0 innings with just two hits and a walk against nine strikeouts. That’s the bad news. The good news is that the Cubs have two more shots to split this four-game series (or preferably win it …), and both games come against left-handed pitchers. The Cubs have been very good against left-handed pitchers this season (116 wRC+, 7th in MLB).
Chicago Cubs Lineup:
- Nico Hoerner, 2B
- Dansby Swanson, SS
- Ian Happ, LF
- Seiya Suzuki, RF
- Patrick Wisdom, 3B
- Yan Gomes, C
- Trey Mancini, 1B
- Miguel Amaya, DH
- Chris Morel, CF
Calling all righties, calling all righties. You are wanted for today’s Cubs lineup.
After going with as many lefties as possible against Yu Darvish last night (… it did not work), David Ross is switching it up this afternoon, with an all-right-handed lineup from top to bottom. That includes Miguel Amaya at DH, which was vacant as Chris Morel covers center field for Mike Tauchman (and really, the injured Cody Bellinger).
As expected, Matt Mervis continues to be protected against left-handed pitching, as he still hasn’t found his footing in the big leagues just yet. And with a lefty on the mound tomorrow, we might see Trey Mancini yet again.
The Cubs have generally been a lot better against lefties than righties this year, and they’re facing a traditional split lefty this afternoon. This is a really good matchup for the Cubs, who are looking to even the series before getting a chance to win it tomorrow. Don’t waste this opportunity.
San Diego Padres Lineup:
- Trent Grisham, CF
- Fernando Tatis Jr., RF
- Juan Soto, LF
- Manny Machado, 3B
- Jake Cronenworth, 2B
- Ha-Seong Kim. SS
- Matt Carpenter, DH
- Alfonso Rivas, 1B
- Austin Nola, C
Pitching Matchup:
Chicago Cubs: Marcus Stroman, RHP
Marcus Stroman has been good all season, but he’s REALLY on top of his game lately. His last start, a complete-game shutout against the best team in MLB (Rays), was one of the best Cubs starting pitcher performances in decades. The one before that was an 8.0 inning, two-run effort against the Mets. And he went 6.0 inning with just one earned run against the Phillies before that. Overall, his 73.0 IP, 2.59 ERA, .187 AVG, and 59.5% groundball rate all rank among the top-10 in MLB. He should take some pressure off the Cubs lineup this afternoon.
San Diego Padres: Ryan Weathers, LHP
Oh, thank god. Not only is Ryan Weathers a lefty, he’s a lefty with traditional righty/lefty splits. He’s also bounced back and forth between the bullpen and rotation. That said, his last three appearances have come as a starter and have been mediocre at best (combined): 15.2 IP, 17H, 11ER, 9BB, 11K. The Cubs lineup can get this guy. Full stop.
Broadcast Info:
Chicago Cubs (25-32) vs San Diego Padres (27-31) at 4:30 pm CT on MARQ, 670 The Score
