Chicago Cubs Lineup (5/9/21): Duffy Leads Off, Vargas at SS, Hendricks Starting for Sweep
Matt Duffy brings his contact bat to the top of the order as the Cubs go for the weekend sweep of the Pirates at Wrigley Sunday afternoon. Willson Contreras bats second at catcher, Anthony Rizzo is at first, and Kris Bryant cleans up in left. David Bote is at second base, Jason Heyward is in right, Jake Marisnick is in center, and Ildemaro Vargas is at short.
Kyle Hendricks looked like his old self the last time out against the Dodgers when the Cubs began this winning streak and now he’s got momentum on his side. He was less than stellar against the Pirates on Opening Day, but neither he nor the lineup he’ll face will be the same in this one.
Tyler Anderson is facing the Cubs for the third time this season after losing to them in each of his first two starts back in early May. He was solid in spite of the outcomes, allowing six total runs over 10.1 innings while striking out 12 with two walks.
Anderson threw his cutter a lot in those early efforts, much more than his change, though he’s backed off of it over his last three starts and has opted to increase his changeup significantly. Both pitches have worked really well over that time, so it’s possible the shift in usage is a matter of scouting and/or that he’s setting the Cubs up for something different.
The lefty has really stifled left-handed batters so far, particularly when it comes to the power department, but the Cubs haven’t been relying on the homer lately. That said, it’ll probably have to be the right-handed bats that carry the day and this may not be a high-scoring affair.
First pitch is at 1:20pm CT on Marquee Sports Network and 670 The Score. You can also watch live on fuboTV (in-market), so sign up now for a free trial if you’re looking for a way to get Marquee without going through a cable or satellite provider.
Kyle Hendricks is on the mound as we wrap up the homestand! #CubTogether pic.twitter.com/n3QXrYOJ6u
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) May 9, 2021