Chicago Cubs Lineup

Chicago Cubs Lineup (6/11/23): Tauchman Leads Off, Morel in RF, Wesneski Pitching for Sweep

Photo of Evan Altman Evan AltmanJune 11, 2023

Wow, it feels better to see the Cubs win a couple games rather than laying eggs. Between Kyle Hendricks almost no-hitting the Giants and the offense finally hitting home runs, it was like the clock had been turned back a few years. With one more win, the Cubs can split their West Coast swing and return to Chicago on a high note.

Hayden Wesneski is on the mound for the visitors in this one as he seeks his first win since April 27. He wasn’t at his best when he started against the Angels, allowing two earned runs over 4.2 innings, but his defense let him down and he wasn’t able to recover. It would really be great if he could get a few whiffs and keep the Giants at bay for at least five innings.

This lineup is very similar to last night’s, with Mike Tauchman leading off in center and Nico Hoerner sliding down to the two hole. Christopher Morel is in right, Ian Happ is in left, and Dansby Swanson handles short. Yan Gomes is behind the plate, Matt Mervis is at first, Patrick Wisdom is the DH, and Nick Madrigal is at third.

John Brebbia is serving as the opener for the second game in a row, though he isn’t likely to record six outs in this one. That’s not so much saying the Cubs will do better than going down in order twice as it is the reality that Brebbia has only gone two innings twice, including yesterday. Expect a lot more sliders from him.

As for who serves as the bulk pitcher, the Giants could go with rookies Tristan Beck or Keaton Winn. Beck has made 12 appearances so far this year, all in relief, but he’s typically worked multiple innings and has faced as many as 25 batters. The lithe righty is pretty much a two-pitch guy with a mid-90s fastball and mid-80s slider. He’ll toss in the occasional curve and rare changeup from time to time as well.

With very pronounced traditional splits so far, Gabe Kapler might want to challenge the Cubs’ left-handed hitters. Beck has had a lot of trouble pitching at home, though, so perhaps the Giants will see fit to have Winn make his MLB debut. He had been pushed back and was listed as the probable starter for Triple-A Sacramento, but ended up not pitching.

Winn is currently ranked No. 14 on MLB Pipeline’s rankings for the Giants and he’ll showcase a fastball that can touch triple digits if he’s indeed the choice. He can miss bats but is also prone to walks and has given up 47 hits in 41.1 innings for Sacramento thus far. I feel like either matchup would be good for the Cubs, now it’s just a matter of finding out what the Giants do.

First pitch is at 3:05pm CT on Marquee and 670 The Score.

Photo of Evan Altman Evan AltmanJune 11, 2023
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