Chicago Cubs Lineup (9/13/24): Nothing New in Batting Order, Assad Starting
It’s Friday the 13th, which holds little significance unless you’re weirdly superstitious or looking for a good deal on flash at a tattoo shop. To that latter point, I got a little piece done by an apprentice for $13 last year. Back to the Cubs, who open their series with one of the worst teams in baseball after taking two of three from one of the best. Will this breathe more life into the Cubs’ dwindling odds or snuff out hope entirely?
They probably need a sweep and can’t leave Denver with less than two wins, so may as well grab a W tonight behind Javier Assad. The bespectacled righty has pitched better of late, largely because he’s been more efficient, now he just needs to keep the ball in the yard. As we’ve seen so often over the season, and the last two weeks in particular, the pitching may not matter at all.
The Cubs either score runs in bunches or they forget how to hit entirely, making even their success frustrating at times. The lineup is different from a month ago but roughly the same as it’s been over the last week-plus, so I don’t think it bears much coverage here. While Craig Counsell may have his foibles just like any skipper, I think the consistency with which he constructs his lineup(s) has been a strength.
They’re facing 30-year-old lefty Austin Gomber, who’s putting together the best season of his career so far. After coming up with the Cardinals as a swingman, Gomber went to the Rockies as part of the Nolan Arenado trade in 2021 and has worked primarily out of the rotation since then with the last two seasons seeing him start exclusively. It’s worth noting that Gomber has committed only two errors in his entire career while the supposedly elite gloveman Arenado has made nine gaffes this season alone and 41 since the deal.
Gomber doesn’t miss many bats and gives up a lot of contact in the air, including 27 homers in 152 innings, but he goes out there and consistently gets around six innings. The Cubs should be able to get plenty of hits in this one, they just need to cash them in. All that could really stop them is Gomber’s changeup, which he throws to the arm side as part of his strategy to foil lefty batters.
Dude pitches to very strong reverse splits that are even more pronounced on the road, so the right-handed hitters may have to do all the damage tonight. Or most of it, as I think Cody Bellinger could make a loud noise in this one. First pitch is at 7:40pm CT on Marquee and 670 The Score.
Starting things off in the Mile High City!
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— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) September 13, 2024