NEWSLETTER
CUBS LINEUP — We can’t be consumed by our petty rivalries anymore. We will be united in our common passion. Perhaps it’s fate that today is the Fourth of July, and once again, we will be fighting for our pride, not from tyranny, oppression, or persecution, but from being swept by the Phillies.
We’re fighting for our right to play, to compete. And should we win the game, the Fourth of July will no longer be just an American holiday, but the day when Cubs fans declared in one voice: “We will not go quietly into the night! We will not vanish without a fight! We’re going to play on! We’re going to triumph!” Today, we celebrate a Cubs W.
Chicago Cubs Lineup:
- Nico Hoerner, 2B
- Patrick Wisdom, 1B
- Cody Bellinger, CF
- Seiya Suzuki, RF
- Ian Happ, LF
- Chris Morel, DH
- Dansby Swanson, SS
- David Bote, 3B
- Tomas Nido, C
Today, the Cubs lineup is loaded with a few extra righties, including Patrick Wisdom at first base (batting second for Michael Busch) and David Bote at third base (pushing Christopher Morel to DH and ultimately bouncing Pete Crow-Armstrong from the lineup after his big game).
As the season goes on, I’d definitely like to see PCA and Busch get more shots against lefties for the purpose of development (because winning is not the priority anymore), but rest will always be needed. And it’s not necessarily a bad thing that PCA is taking a seat after making some progress yesterday. Let him have a personal W, instead of struggling against a lefty that really crushes fellow lefties:
LHH vs Sanchez: .203/.261/.267; 28.3 K%, 72.3 GB%
And we’ll probably see PCA before the game is over anyway.
Philadelphia Phillies Lineup:
- TBA
Pitching Matchup:
Chicago Cubs: Jameson Taillon, RHP
At this point, Jameson Taillon is playing to increase his trade value, but at least he’s doing nice job. He’s delivered quality starts in five of his last six outings including four straight. Of course, the Phillies are a really tough offense, even without their stars, so don’t be surprised if today doesn’t go perfectly. I think the market will understand (no one is trading for Taillon as a front-of-the-rotation arm anyway – he’s more of a eat innings with quality type of guy).
Philadelphia Phillies: Cristopher Sanchez, LHP
Cristopher Sanchez has made sixteen starts this season and has earned a 2.41 ERA. So … yikes. How is he doing it? Well, he’s not striking many batters out (21%), but he’s also not walking many (6.4%). But more importantly … grounders. Lots and lots of grounders (60.3%). So get ready for some rally-killing double-play balls today, my friends.
Broadcast Info:
Chicago Cubs (39-48) vs Philadelphia Phillies (57-29) at 1:20 pm CT – Marquee Sports Network, MLBN, 670 The Score
