Cubs News & Notes – Breaking Down The Lineup For Tuesday April 8th

This is a Cubs News & Notes blog for Tuesday April 8th. Normally I’d post at 5pm but we’re going a little earlier today out of convenience.

Specifically: I’d like to use it to jot down some thoughts on the lineup card before I go for a long walk and record my daily preview.

So let’s do just that:

1. Happ
2. Seiya
3. Tucker
4. Turner
5. Swanny
6. Nico
7. Pete
8. Matt Shaw The Rookie
9. Carson Kelly

These are my thoughts:

• Huge to get a 7-0 win yesterday when you sit Nico and Matt Shaw The Rookie for Jon Berti and Gage Workman respectively. Yesterday was the first time Counsell made substantial changes to the lineup and we ended up with a stress free win. That’s awesome
• We welcome Nico back to the lineup after going 5-12 with 3 runs, 3 stolen bases and 0 strikeouts against the Padres. He got a night off yesterday and is now back presumably for another 10-15 games in a row because I hate sitting him.
• Counsell flips Seiya with Kyle and I think it’s usually around LHP or RHP. When righties are starting, you’ve seen Kyle hit 2 and vice versa with lefties and Seiya. It’s a small switch based on a small advantage and I think it makes sense provided neither of those guys care changing batting order spots like this.
• It would be much more disruptive to swap out DH and RF with the two players
• Justin Turner gets a start at 1st base because Patrick Corbin is pitching for the Rangers and Patrick Corbin sucks. He’s a soft tossing lefty that lives in the heart of the plate and Justin Turner has a 1.050 career OPS in 45 at bats against him. That’s a no brainer.
• Same time I want to see Michael Busch get treated like an MLB clean up hitter even if I don’t really love him like a clean up hitter right now. Craig can’t be pinch hitting him every time he gets nervous. Let the big dog eat.
• Swanny needs to get going a little bit and tonight is a perfect match up because, again, Patrick Corbin fuckin BLOWS
• I’d like to see PCA with a drag bunt in his first plate appearance to make the lefty chase his backhand towards first. He needs a spark and I need to see him bunt for a hit.
• Matt Shaw is my pick to click tonight because I think Patrick Corbin sucks if you didn’t hear about that already. The less you know the better, and I’m convinced Shaw competed against better pitching on Friday nights in the Big Ten
• Ian Happ has a .710 OPS against LHP and an .810 OPS against RHP in his career. I like when he leads off against a RHP but I’m still getting comfortable against lefties because he strikes out more, walks less and just isn’t as effective. So this is one of those blind spots with him leading off that I don’t love – but we have no other options for that spot in the order.
• I’ve gotten tired this week of complaining about Tom Ricketts but not enough to be quiet. It’s just shitty we know right now on April 8th that he doesn’t give a shit about extending Kyle Tucker because he’s a cheapskate dork. So I’m starting to teach myself to enjoy each day of Kyle Tucker like I’m a horny teenager about to leave for college but still attached to my local trim. If that makes sense. Point is we should just have fun and be realistic about the fact it’s never meant to be because Tom Ricketts turned out to be a bad owner.

I like the Cubs a lot tonight. I won’t bet them because it’s still too early in the season for me. But I like them in the -250 range and they’re only -166, which is still a terrible line. But I’m professionally obligated to tell you when there’s such a notably discrepancy and this is one of those nights.

Take a guess why that is…

Correct: It’s because Patrick Corbin fuckin blows.