CUBS LINEUP — Unfortunately, last night’s game against the Guardians was banged on account of rain. Fortunately, that means we get twice as much baseball to enjoy today. It’s double-header day in Cleveland, and this is the Cubs lineup for Game 1 at 12:10 CT.
Note: Edward Cabrera is taking the ball in the first game today against the righty Slade Cecconi, who was originally scheduled to face Shota Imanaga last night. And then, later in the day, Shota Imanaga will get on the mound against the lefty, Parker Messick. So a little matchup shakeup to keep in mind.
Okay, Cubs lineup time. What’s Craig Counsell got for us?
Chicago Cubs Lineup:
Michael Busch, 1B Alex Bregman, DH Ian Happ, LF Pete Crow-Armstrong, CF Nico Hoerner, 2B Dansby Swanson, SS Michael Conforto, RF Matt Shaw, 3B Miguel Amaya, CIn the first half of the Cubs doubleheader today, Craig Counsell is going with a pretty straightforward lineup, though I do have one rare but significant disagreement with his decisions.
Namely, why are we starting Michael Conforto in this game?
On the one hand, I get it. Conforto is here to play right field while Suzuki is gone. Ceconni is a righty pitcher. And on doubleheader days, everyone works into the mix. But because he’s starting in right field (and because it’s a doubleheader), Matt Shaw is getting the nod at third base, which pushes Alex Bregman to DH, and Moises Ballesteros to the bench.
In isolation, I actually love Bregman getting occasional starts at DH, especially because Shaw can handle third base defensively just fine. Better than fine, really. Indeed, I’ve routinely suggested this exact setup as a way to preserve Bregman’s health throughout the season.
But by doing this in Game 1, against a righty, and forcing Ballesteros out, you effectively neuter Ballesteros for the day.
Why? Because the second game of this doubleheader is being started by a tough lefty, which means Ballesteros probably won’t start again. Maybe he will, but it won’t be an easy matchup for him.
And when you throw in the fact that Ceconni actually carries reverse splits for his career, the choice to roll with Michael Conforto (who is 0-6 with five strikeouts so far this season) is even more odd.
We’re splitting hairs, but for Game 1, I probably would’ve gone with Matt Shaw in right, Bregman at third, and Ballestros at DH. And then, in Game 2, you can do Shaw at third, Bregman at DH, and either Conforto or … DING DING DING Dylan Carlson (where is that guy!?) in right field.
Now, listen, these lineup decisions are never ONLY about lefty/righty matchups. There are a dozen other data points to consider, like pitchmix, arm angle, health, etc. But on the surface, it seems like an odd choice to squeeze Ballesteros out in favor of Conforto and to just continue ignoring the existence of Dylan Carlson altogether.
But also … it’s the eighth game of the season. It’s a doubleheader. And the Cubs roster is missing it’s everyday right fielder. So I’m not really stressing about it too much.
One choice that does make sense: Miguel Amaya (reverse split righty batter) is starting against the reverse split righty pitcher, Slade Ceconni. And that means Carson Kelly (traditional split righty batter) will start against the traditional split lefty pitcher, Parker Messick. That one is an easy choice, when both guys have to start, anyway.
Now that I think about it, though, I bet we see Miguel Amaya at DH in Game 2. Not a bad idea, but once again … I miss Seiya Suzuki so much.
Let’s just go out there and take Game 1 so we have a chance to win another series tonight in Cleveland.
Cleveland Guardians Lineup:
Steven Kwan, CF Chase DeLaueter, RF Jose Ramirez, DH Kyle Manzardo, 1B Bo Naylor, C Daniel Schneemann, 3B Brayan Rocchio, 2B Gabriel Arias, SS CJ Kayfus, LFPitching Matchup:
Chicago Cubs: Edward Cabrera, RHP
In terms of results, Edward Cabrera’s first start of the season really couldn’t have gone much better. He held the Angels scoreless over six innings, allowing just one hit and one walk against five strikeouts. And with the recent loss (still TBD for how long) of Cade Horton, a healthy and successful Edward Cabrera just became that much more important.
I will note, however, that despite walking just one batter, Cabrera was a little wild in this one. There were a lot of 3-ball counts, and he ultimately had a Zone% of just 38%. For reference, his average last season was 50.7%, which was below the league average (52.4%).
Clearly, you don’t have to live in the zone to find success, but for Cabrera, wildness, especially on his four-seamer, is something we’re following closely. So I would like to see him attack the strike zone with a little more consistency today.
Speaking of that four-seamer, it recorded just two whiffs and one called strike all afternoon. He’s gotta find more success with that pitch (especially if it’ll become his base fastball again) if he wants to unlock that truly elite upside we all know he’s capable of.
Cleveland Guardians: Slade Cecconi, RHP
Slade Cecconi is a 26-year-old righty who made 23 starts for the Guardians last season, pitching to a 4.30 ERA (5.00 xERA). He did well at limiting the free passes, but wasn’t much of a strikeout artist and allowed a ton of barrels and hard contact. This is the sort of guy the Cubs should absolutely beat up on.
In his first start this season, Cecconi gave up 6 earned runs in 4.1 IP to the Mariners. For his career, Cecconi has actually been slightly tougher on lefties than righties. But frankly, both types of hitters have had more than their fair share of success.
Broadcast Info:
Chicago Cubs (3-4) vs Cleveland Guardians (5-3) at 12:10 pm CT – Marquee Sports Network, 104.3 The Score
Cubs vs Guardians – Key Injuries:
Chicago Cubs:
Seiya Suzuki, OF Jordan Wicks, SP Porter Hodge, RP Justin Steele, SP (60-Day IL) Shelby Miller, RP (60-Day IL) Tyler Austin, IF/OF (60-Day IL) Cade Horton, RHPCleveland Guardians:
George Valera, OF Andrew Walters, RP Hunter Gaddis, RPCubs vs Guardians – Progressive Field Weather Report
Location: Progressive Field Temperature: 46 degreesWind: Blowing left to right, very strong (16 MPH)
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