NEWSLETTER
CUBS LINEUP — Justin Steele couldn’t will the Cubs to victory with 7.1 innings of dominant pitching in the opener. And Kyle Hendricks couldn’t do it with 7.0 innings of two-run ball last night. Will Hayden Wesneski have better luck? Will it even matter? Will I end this intro with a string of rhetorical questions to no sensical or even enjoyable conclusion?
Chicago Cubs Lineup:
- Nico Hoerner, 2B
- Michael Busch, 1B
- Cody Bellinger, RF
- Seiya Suzuki, DH
- Ian Happ, LF
- Chris Morel, 3B
- Dansby Swanson, SS
- Pete Crow-Armstrong, CF
- Miguel Amaya, C
Very straight forward Cubs lineup tonight, with Seiya Suzuki back at DH again as Craig Counsell wisely prioritizes outfield defense in SF.
San Francisco Giants Lineup:
- TBA
Pitching Matchup:
Chicago Cubs: Hayden Wesneski, RHP
Hayden Wesneski didn’t break camp with the Chicago Cubs, but he’s been with the team for most of the season. And although he’s thrown primarily out of the bullpen, his role has been all over the place – he’s been a true one-inning relief type, he’s piggy-backed, he’s been a multi-inning guy, and he’s even made three true starts (though the last one was all the way back on May 8). Things haven’t been going great for him lately, however, as the home run ball has really bit him (6 HRs in his last 11.2 IP, 4 HRs in his last 7.1 IP).
San Francisco Giants: Hayden Birdsong, RHP
Hayden Birdsong is the Giants top right-handed pitching prospect, but not an organizational top-5 prospect or a league-wide top-100 prospect overall. That said, he did make 11 starts at Double-A this year, earning a 2.05 ERA in the process with a 30%+ strikeout rate. He had an even higher strikeout rate over his two starts at Triple-A and now the Giants have promoted him for his big league debut tonight against the Cubs. Birdsong throws four pitches, but leads with his mid-90s fastball and solid 60-grade curveball.
Broadcast Info:
Chicago Cubs (37-43) vs San Francisco Giants (38-42) at 8:45 pm CT – Marquee Sports Network, MLBN, 670 The Score
