CUBS LINEUP – Even if you didn’t know the Cubs were officially eliminated from the 2024 playoffs last night, you could probably tell by Craig Counsell’s lineup for Sunday. A few regulars are out.
Chicago Cubs lineup:
- Ian Happ, LF
- Dansby Swanson, SS
- Michael Busch, 1B
- Seiya Suzuki, DH
- Mike Tauchman, RF
- Isaac Paredes, 3B
- Pete Crow-Armstrong, CF
- Miguel Amaya, C
- Miles Mastrobuoni, 2B
Cody Bellinger and Nico Hoerner both have the afternoon off. They will be replaced by Mike Tauchman in right field and Miles Mastrobuoni at second base. Pete Crow-Armstrong moves up one spot in the transition.
Tauchman and Mastrobuoni (both left-handers) could have good days at bat, as current Nationals starter Jake Irvin doesn’t have the best track record against lefties: .258/.329/.467 (.342 wOBA).
Washington Nationals lineup:
- To be announced
Pitching duel:
Chicago Cubs: Shota Imanaga, LHP
This afternoon will be Shota Imanaga’s 29th start of the season, putting him on pace for a solid 30 in his “rookie” season in the MLB. He has a 3.03 ERA, which is just a fantastic debut, but I hope he can get it under 3.00 before the end of the year. It’s going to be close, but doable. Imanaga has made five good starts in a row, most recently striking out 11 (!) Oakland A’s in six innings. Note: While the Nationals actually have one of the lowest strikeout rates against lefties this season (20.1 K%, top 5 in MLB), their overall performance against lefties is pretty poor: 87 wRC+, 25th in MLB).
Washington Nationals: Jake Irvin, RHP
Jake Irvin isn’t having the STRONGEST season overall (4.07 ERA), but to do that in 31 starts and 179.1 IP to date is pretty special. He doesn’t strike out a lot of people, but he doesn’t walk a lot of people either. And the deeper I dig into his numbers, the more he’s just average.
Broadcast info:
Chicago Cubs (79-76) vs. Washington Nationals (69-86) at 1:20 p.m. CT – Marquee Sports Network, 670 The Score
Chicago Cubs:
Washington Nationals:
