NEWSLETTER
Cubs Lineup — Thanks to Mike Tauchman’s heroics last night, the 2023 Chicago Cubs are a game OVER .500 … and I’d like them to stay that way. I just like the idea of having at least a two-game cushion between themselves and breaking even. Take some pressure off, ya know? And, hey it would also be nice to see them record their longest winning streak since 2016 at exactly the right time. Here’s a look at the Cubs lineup that’ll go for it this evening.
Chicago Cubs Lineup:
- Mike Tauchman, CF
- Nico Hoerner, 2B
- Ian Happ, LF
- Cody Bellinger, 1B
- Seiya Suzuki, RF
- Dansby Swanson, SS
- Chris Morel, DH
- Yan Gomes, C
- Nick Madrigal, 3B
Hey! Nick Madrigal is back in the Cubs lineup! I’m happy to see that, given the strength of his defense at third base and the way his hitting had started to come around before he went on the injured list again.
I do concede, however, that loading the lineup with lefties (i.e. Miles Mastrobuoni at third base instead of Madrigal) against Adam Wainwright would have made some sense given how well they’ve been hitting Waino this year (.387/.435/.685 (.466 wOBA)). But I’m fine with getting Madrigal back in the fold. Ope, and I just realized that Mastrobuoni was the one sent out for Madrigal anyway. So, that’s that.
ANYWAY … Not that the sample tells you anything, but Madrigal did go 2-2 with a double off Wainwright the last time they met (in London).
No surprises elsewhere, with the usual suspects up and down the Cubs lineup. Go get ’em, Jamo.
St. Louis Cardinals Lineup:
- Brendan Donovan, DH
- Paul Goldschmidt, 1B
- Lars Nootbaar, LF
- Nolan Arenado, 3B
- Nolan Gorman, 2B
- Willson Contreras, C
- Jordan Walker, RF
- Dylan Carlson, CF
- Paul DeJong, SS
Pitching Matchup:
Chicago Cubs: Jameson Taillon, RHP
It’s a new world when we can wake up on a Jameson Taillon start day and feel somewhat confident — or, at least, a distinct lack of dread relative to his first 13 starts (6.90 ERA). Over his last four games, including his most recent against these very Cardinals, Taillon has gotten FAR better results (2.96 ERA over 24.1 IP) with peripherals to support it and some meaningful changes to his pitch mix and release point to explain it.
And, while the Nationals (87 wRC+), Yankees (91 wRC+), and Guardians (95 wRC+) are all below-average offenses against right-handed pitching, the Cardinals (112 wRC+) have actually been a pretty strong group in that capacity.
And he allowed just 1 earned run over 5.2 IP with 6Ks and one walk against him in his last start. And don’t forget how thoroughly dominant he was against the Yankees in New York before the All-Star break, that’s not an easy task). So while it’s not usually good for a pitcher to face the same team in short order, I feel OK about Wainwright taking the ball today and trying to extend the Cubs winning streak to eight games.
St. Louis Cardinals: Adam Wainwright, RHP
Although I’d be lying if I didn’t say my belief in the ability of this Cubs lineup to take on a struggling Adam Wainwright wasn’t a big part of that calculus. Wainwright (7.31 ERA) has had a horrible season, striking out a shockingly low 11.3% of batters he’s faced while allowing a .348 average all season. In fact, the Cubs already did a number on him at the end of June (3.0 IP, 11H, 7ER, 1BB, 0K, 2HR), and his opponents haven’t been kind since (3 starts, 10.0 IP, 17H, 12ER, 7BB, 7K).
Broadcast Info:
Chicago Cubs (52-51) vs St. Louis Cardinals (46-59) at 6:15 pm CT on MARQ, 670 The Score
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