Chicago Cubs Lineup (7/13/24, Game 2): Pretty Much Same Batters, Assad Starting

After giving up only three runs during their five-game win streak, the Cubs gave up nine runs in the 1st inning of the early game this afternoon. Only two of those were earned, however, as Hayden Wesneski and his defense booted the ball all over the place. Things can only get better tonight.

The Ass Man is back, as Javier Assad has been activated from the IL after working through a forearm extensor strain. He had a pretty rough outing against the Cards in late May, giving up four earned runs thanks in large part to a pair of homers. Let’s hope a little time on the shelf has him rested up and feeling sharp in this one.

The lineup is the same as the first game, but with Miguel Amaya in at catcher and batting eighth while Pete Crow-Armstrong bats last. See the rest below.

This is the second game today in which the Cubs will face a pitcher who hails from central Indiana, with Kyle Gibson following Lance Lynn in the Cardinals rotation. Gibby is also creeping into his late 30s, which is another theme for St. Louis starters, and he’s similar to his counterpart in that he’s pretty tall and sits around 91-92 with his sinker and fastball. Gibson also throws a sweeper, cutter, change, and curve, with the latter being his best pitch despite light usage.

The sinker is also a solid pitch and he’ll locate it all over the place to get grounders and weak contact. Gibson’s velo plays up a little because he gets good extension with his 6-foot-6 frame, making him a little more dangerous than he might appear on paper. He dominated the Cubs a month ago in Chicago, holding them scoreless with just two hits over seven innings, but this group is hitting quite a bit better these days.

What’s more, Gibson has given up 11 earned runs over his last three starts and might be hitting a wall at the end of the first half. If the Cubs can make good on that trend, it’ll make for a fun nightcap.

First pitch is set for 7:15pm CT on Marquee and 670 The Score.