Chicago Cubs Lineup (8/21/24): Taillon Tossing, Tigers Going with Bullpen Game
The Cubs opened their series against the Tigers with a win that looked for a while like it was going to be another one of those stupid one-run losses with the offense failing to do anything at all. My big takeaway is that there’s no way in hell Detroit should even be within sniffing distance of the .500 mark, and this is from a guy who’s watched the Cubs all year. My second takeaway is that Javier Báez is indeed completely lost at the plate.
Even accounting for his emotional return to Wrigley Field for the first time since the trade that sent him to the Mets for Pete Crow-Armstrong, it’s evident he’s just up there guessing. Cubs pitchers had him figured out, mixing fastballs and sliders to twist him into a pretzel en route to a golden sombrero. The last of his strikeouts ended the game and may have added a little more weight to the scale when it comes to how the Tigers handle his future.
That’s a lot of money to eat, but a young team that could make some noise with a load of homegrown talent can’t afford to play a starting shortstop who’s actively hurting the team. After he’s done helping them get a better draft pick, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Tigers do what they can to move Javy elsewhere in whatever manner they have to.
If you’re wondering why I’m spending so much time talking about a former Cub, well, there’s little else to say about the current team. We know very well who Jameson Taillon is at this point and Craig Counsell has settled into a lineup that may have been more consistent over the last two weeks than we’ve seen at any other point in the season. Not so much with production, but in terms of the actual order itself. The only difference tonight is that Christian Bethancourt is getting a rare start behind the dish.
The Tigers are countering with another bullpen game and still haven’t announced their opening pitcher as of publication, so there’s not much use in breaking down the pitching matchup(s). That’s even more the case considering the staff is mediocre at best without Cy Young front-runner Tarik Skubal, who the Cubs won’t face in this series. Exhibit A in my case for this being one of the most forgettable groups of all time is that Shelby Miller pitches out of the bullpen.
Miller is like the living embodiment of the movie Memento because I’d need to have his name or likeness tattooed on my body in order to remember he pitched for the Cubs. Every time I’m told he once worked on the North Side is like the first time, I kid you not. Even then, I have absolutely zero recollection of anything specific. In fact, the only thing I can think of at all regarding Miller — who Arizona acquired from Atlanta as part of the Dansby Swanson deal — is how former Diamondback GM Dave Stewart said the righty was basically a $200 million player because the Braves had gotten him in exchange for Jason Heyward.
Man, that is one hell of a player trifecta right there.
So yeah, that’s pretty much it as far as a breakdown. First pitch from Wrigley is at 7:10pm CT on Marquee and 670 The Score.
Jamo bump day.
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— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) August 21, 2024