Chicago Cubs Lineup (5/29/21): Davies Pitching, Bryant at 1B, Pederson in LF
The Cubs are running it back today with the same lineup from yesterday’s 1-0 win over the Reds. The wind is gusting in once again at Wrigley but the sun should be out on a chilly day that’s only expected to reach the mid-50s.
Joc Pederson leads off today playing left field. Anthony Rizzo remains sidelined and Kris Bryant will once again be on first batting second in the order. Boy, it sure would be nice to have a solid backup catcher with a good bat who could also play first base, wouldn’t it?
Batting third is Javier Baez at short, Ian Happ bats fourth playing center, he’s followed by Willson Contreras catching, Rafael Ortega in right, David Bote at third, and Eric Sogard at second.
Zach Davies has quietly put together a very strong month of May, posting a 1.71 ERA with more strikeouts than walks. That looks a lot better than his 9.47 April ERA in five starts that saw him walk more batters than he punched out. However, Davies’ 4.18 FIP and 1-0 record indicate that he’s not been anything close to dominant. Perhaps the most important aspect of his recent performance is that he’s finished at least five innings in four consecutive starts.
Luis Castillo has been very disappointing for the Reds, pitching to a 7.61 ERA and allowing eight home runs over 10 starts. He has given up at least three earned runs in each of his last six starts, all of which he’s lost, and he’s allowed at least six hits in seven starts so far.
Castillo’s fastball sits around 97 mph and his firm changeup remains his go-to pitch. It’ll zip in there around 88, harder than most of his counterpart’s fastballs, but he’s not locating it well this season. The heater has been even bigger, though Castillo’s sinker is hot garbage. It may actually be the worst pitch in baseball, costing him nearly 11 runs below average already.
The fastball combo has cost 15.7 runs, making it the worst in MLB among pitchers with at least 30 innings of work. That said, he’s still capable of firing some filth and stopping the Cubs’ winning ways.
First pitch is at 1:20pm CT on Marquee and 670 The Score. If you’re in-market and looking to get the game via streaming service, check out a free preview of fuboTV.
Here is today's #Cubs starting lineup at Wrigley Field.#CubTogether pic.twitter.com/N6Jt6nETtU
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) May 29, 2021
