Chicago Cubs Lineup (6/1/19): Quintana on Mound, Contreras Catching, Bote Starts at Second (Update: Báez Scratched)

Javy Báez (right heel) was scratched from tonight's #Cubs lineup. pic.twitter.com/lJaFFpAkkA

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) June 1, 2019

Update 4:20 CT: Joe Maddon had originally planned to have Addison Russell on the bench for Saturday’s game, but Javy Báez was a late scratch as his right heel contusion continues to bother him. Russell will now get the start at SS and hit sixth, while Willson Contreras moves up one spot from the original lineup to hit cleanup.

When he’s not pitching for the Cardinals, Jack Flaherty is a character actor playing a rookie cop in period piece about Boston in the 1960’s. He’s striking out over three times as many batters as he walks with a repertoire that features a mid-90’s heater, a biting slider, and a changeup that has been really good despite limited use. He’s also given up nine homers in just under 60 innings, including one to Rizzo earlier this season, so his mistakes have been punished.

Flaherty is a strike-thrower and doesn’t typically walk many batters, though the Cubs coaxed four free passes from him last month. That said, they should go up there expecting to get something in the zone right out of the gate. Lefties will see either four-seam or curve nearly 80% of the time to open plate appearances and righties will see about the same, but with the slider as the secondary.

Those respective mixes stay pretty similar no matter the count, as Flaherty is comfortable throwing his stuff for strikes. If the Cubs can time Flaherty up, they have a very good chance to continue mashing like we saw from them all May. If, however, they start flailing at the breaking stuff, it could be a long afternoon.

José Quintana had a decent start in that earlier Cards series, going deuces wild with two runs allowed, two walks, and two strikeouts over six innings. His offense put up 13 runs, six of which came during his time on the bump, providing more than enough cushion. A repeat of that would be nice.

First pitch from St. Louis is at 6:15pm CT on FOX and 670 The Score. I’m going to be missing pretty much the whole thing because I’ll be achieving a dream a little over 25 years in the making by seeing the Wu-Tang Clan perform at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago. Bring home a win for me, please.