The Cubs have given themselves a chance to keep the good stretch rolling, and Sunday’s series finale against the Pirates comes with a familiar setup: Matthew Boyd on the mound, the bats still warm, and a chance to finish off a sweep at Wrigley Field.
Chicago has piled up 16 runs over its last two games after that rough trip to Milwaukee, while holding Pittsburgh to just five runs in the same span. With the Atlanta Braves coming next, the Cubs will be looking to carry this momentum right through the weekend.
Boyd gets the ball after one of his better starts of the season. Against the Milwaukee Brewers, he worked 7.0 innings, allowed three earned runs on five hits and struck out seven. That strikeout total was his highest since July 7 against the Baltimore Orioles, and his ERA now sits at 4.03 across 19 outings.
He also had success the last time he saw Pittsburgh. Boyd went 7.0 innings in that meeting as well, giving up seven hits and just one run.
Chicago is sticking with the same general look in the lineup, with one change behind the plate. Miguel Amaya is back in for Carson Kelly and will play for the first time since September 8.
The Cubs’ lineup: Pete Crow-Armstrong in center, Seiya Suzuki in right, Michael Busch at first, Alex Bregman at third, Ian Happ as the DH, Nico Hoerner at short, Michael Conforto also listed as DH, Pedro Ramírez at second, and Miguel Amaya catching.
Pittsburgh will counter with Konnor Griffin at short, Oneil Cruz in center, Bryan Reynolds as DH, Rafael Flores, Jr. in the order, Nick Gonzales at second, Ryan O'Hearn as DH, Jake Mangum in left, Jared Triolo at third, and Henry Davis behind the plate.
The Cubs will also have to deal with Bubba Chandler, one of the young arms in the Pirates’ rotation. The 23-year-old leans on a 98.4 mph heater and mixes in a low-90s slider and change-up, a combination that can create swings and misses.
He’s not built around piling up strikeouts, though. The bigger issue is getting hitters to put the ball in play against tough stuff, and he usually doesn’t stay out there much longer than 5.0 innings.
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Cubs Face A Tough Spencer Strider Question This Offseason
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Striders appeal is obvious, but so are the questions around him, from his injury history to the uncertainty created by his recent performance. The Braves would also be asking for a significant return, and that is where the Cubs run into the real difficulty of matching the price. A trade involving Strider this offseason is not out of the question, but Chicago may have a hard time finding itself in the center of it. [Read more 🡒]