Chicago Cubs Lineup (7/4/21): Contreras Leads Off, Bryant in RF, Hoerner at 2B, Hendricks Pitching
Maybe the Cubs could try celebrating their independence from losing today, huh? They could actually get back into second with a win, so that’s something to potentially hang their hats on. The Cubs have not won since their no-hitter in LA and the problems go deeper than anything that can be fixed by a trade or a few players getting healthy.
Barring a swift and significant turnaround, they’re looking at a sell-off at some point in the next four weeks and a retooling that should last much longer. Fun times.
Willson Contreras is leading off at catcher, Kris Bryant is in right, Anthony Rizzo is at first, and Javier Báez is the shortstop. Patrick Wisdom bats fifth at third base, Nico Hoerner returns after a nearly six-week absence to handle second, Jake Marisnick is in center, and Ian Happ is in left.
Kyle Hendricks is on the mound looking to prevent a sweep and end the losing streak at eight. Pitching hasn’t been the issue for the Cubs lately, though, so even a great lecture from The Professor won’t guarantee a win.
Going for the Reds is 34-year-old lefty Wade Miley, who is putting together the best season of his career to this point. He beat the Cubs at the end of April in a game that was more about Jake Arrieta soiling the bed than anything else, but we’ve seen time and again how this lineup can just fall asleep.
I could also wake up, though Miley is very stingy when it comes to giving up homers. He’s not going to miss many bats, so the Cubs need to put the ball in play and string together hits when they can. Because taking advantage of scoring opportunities is definitely a strength of this team, right?
Sorry for the lack of commentary on this one, there’s really not much else to say and no reason to waste more of your Fourth.
First pitch is set for 12:10pm CT on Marquee Sports Network and 670 The Score. Watching the Cubs is painful enough as it is, so consider ditching your cable carrier and switching to fuboTV.
Nico Hoerner returns to the #Cubs starting lineup!#CubTogether pic.twitter.com/Of74xBRGZX
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) July 4, 2021
