NEWSLETTER
CUBS LINEUP — The Cubs have not one, but two games to play today! Here’s a look at their lineup for Game 1 against the left-hander Jesus Luzardo.
Chicago Cubs Lineup:
- Nico Hoerner, 2B
- Patrick Wisdom, RF
- Chris Morel, DH
- Dansby Swanson, SS
- Garrett Cooper, 1B
- Mike Tauchman, CF
- Nick Madrigal, 3B
- Miguel Amaya, C
- Alexander Canario, LF
Okay, first some of the obvious stuff: with a traditional-splits lefty on the mound this afternoon, the Cubs lineup has a lot of the expected hallmarks: the red-hot Nico Hoerner is leading off, Patrick Wisdom is starting and up high in the order (while Seiya Suzuki is out), and both Garrett Cooper and Nick Madrigal are in the game.
And with Ian Happ being weaker against lefties (and having hurt his hamstring last night), I’m also not surprised to see Alexander Canario get a start … though I’ve learned not to take these for granted. They are few and far between.
On the flip side, initially, I was a little surprised to see Mike Tauchman in there over Cody Bellinger, who hit lefties well last year. But I guess I didn’t realize that Tauchman has actually been a reverse-split guy, himself, hitting lefties to the tune of a 101 wRC+ for his career. So all things considered, this group makes sense.
Miguel Amaya is behind the plate in game one, which means we’ll get Yan Gomes in game two. And then tomorrow, Amaya is probably back in there for the finale, catching Kyle Hendricks.
Miami Marlins Lineup:
- Luis Arraez, 2B
- Bryan De La Cruz, DH
- Jazz Chisholm Jr., CF
- Josh bell, 1B
- Jesus Sanchez, RF
- Nick Gordon, LF
- Emmanuel Rivera, 3B
- Vidal Brujan, SS
- Nico Fortes, C
Pitching Matchup:
Chicago Cubs: Javier Assad, RHP
What can you say about Javier Assad? The guy has done nothing but step up every time he’s been called upon this (and last) season. He’s made three starts this year, totaling 16.2 IP, 11H, 4ER, 5BB, and 18Ks. That’s a 2.16 ERA with a 28.1% strikeout rate. Add that to an 86.5 MPH average exit velocity and a reasonable walk rate and there’s pretty much nothing but good stuff. The only nit you could pick is hoping for more groundballs. But that’s just being greedy. I continue to be blown away by his results.
Miami Marlins: Jesus Luzardo, LHP
Jesus Luzardo was pretty darn good in 2022 (3.32 ERA over 18 starts) and 2023 (3.58 ERA over 32 starts), but he has not had a pleasant time so far this season. After a nice first outing against the Pirates (5.0 IP, 2H, 2ER, 2BB, 8K), Luzardo has allowed 15 rus in three starts against the Angels, Yankees, and Braves. Those last two are really tough lineups, of course, but he was wild (8 walks) and gave up four homers (five total on the year). The 20 lefty batters he has faced this season have been especially patient (4 walks) and cruel (8 hits) to Luzardo. Maybe that’s one more reason Craig Counsell felt confident getting Mike Tauchman in the Cubs lineup this afternoon.
Broadcast Info:
Chicago Cubs (12-7) at Miami Marlins (4-16) at 1:20 pm CT – Marquee Sports Network, 670 The Score
