Joe Maddon goes with a majority of his regulars in game three of Cardinals series
The Cubs will shoot for three in a row over the Cardinals today behind Kyle Hendricks. The Cubs get to face Cardinals’ right-hander Luke Weaver in his Major League debut. And Joe Maddon has his regulars back in the lineup with Willson Contreras behind the plate.
Dexter Fowler, Ben Zobrist and Jason Heyward all return to the lineup and will patrol the outfield on Saturday afternoon. Fowler is leading off and in center field. Zobrist starts in left and is back to hitting cleanup. Heyward in is right field and hitting sixth.
The Cubs have to make sure to catch the ball today and not give what is a desperate Cardinals’ team any help. Javier Baez is starting at second base today with Addison Russell at short and Kris Bryant at third base.
Cubs batting order: Dexter Fowler CF, Kris Bryant 3B, Anthony Rizzo 1B, Ben Zobrist LF, Addison Russell SS, Jason Heyward RF, Willson Contreras C, Javier Baez 2B, Kyle Hendricks P
Luke Weaver had a little more success against right-handers than left-handers this season in the minors. The Cubs have hitters in the lineup that should make a very talented righty in Weaver work early which should keep him from getting comfortable on the mound at Wrigley.
Joe Maddon will begin the game with a bench of Jorge Soler, Chris Coghlan, Miguel Montero, David Ross and Matt Szczur.