Chicago Cubs Lineup (9/3/24): Hendricks Facing Skenes for Third Time
Tonight was supposed to be a battle of aces, but now it’s the third time this year we’ll be treated to about as disparate a pair of starting pitchers as you’ll find. Justin Steele was scratched due to elbow soreness — no structural damage, thank goodness — so the Cubs are turning to Kyle Hendricks to face Paul Skenes and the Pirates. That was the matchup last week when Hendricks had the shortest start of his career, departing after recording fewer outs (5) than earned runs allowed (6).
The Professor gave up eight hits and walked three, setting the stage for an epic comeback that saw the Cubs claw back from a 10-3 deficit entering the 7th inning. I’m going to go out on a limb and say they won’t be able to repeat those heroics should their pitching fail them again. The bigger issue might be getting to Skenes, who has only allowed three or more runs in four of his 18 starts.
Of course, the Cubs are responsible for two of those outings, once in his debut and again last week in that aforementioned romp. Skenes lasted only five innings that time, his shortest outing since June 5 against the Dodgers, so he should be plenty well rested. I’d wager he’s also got a bit of a chip on his shoulder.
Not much use diving into this any further because it’s a story you’ve already heard multiple times, so peep the image below if you want the full lineup. The Cubs are in a must-win situation every night at this point and can’t afford to fall behind early against one of the game’s best young pitchers.
First pitch is once again at 6:40pm CT on Marquee and 670 The Score.
Tonight’s #Cubs starting lineup against Pittsburgh.
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— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) September 3, 2024