Chicago Cubs Lineup (10/11/25): Same Batting Order as Usual, Pitchers Just Looking for 27 Outs

Craig Counsell isn’t starting Shota Imanaga even though he’s on regular rest, which is a big relief given the lefty’s sustained propensity for giving up homers. That doesn’t mean he won’t make an appearance in the right situation, especially with the strategy for this game calling for an all-hands-on-deck approach. Matthew Boyd is really the only Cubs pitcher who isn’t available, and the Brewers will be doing pretty much the same thing.

Drew Pomeranz will serve as the Cubs’ opener, a role he played four times in the regular season. With the exception of a stinker against the Cardinals in which he gave up two runs on a hit and a walk while retiring only one of the four batters he faced, the lefty was strong in those starts. He’s been excellent overall since being acquired from the Mariners in late April and having not pitched in the majors since 2021.

This will be his sixth appearance of the postseason, and he’s retired all of the 15 batters he’s faced. That includes five strikeouts, though it also features a very heavy diet of fly balls. Getting more grounders sure would be nice, but all that matters is holding the Crew scoreless. Pomeranz has done just that over six regular-season appearances and in each of the last three games of this series, allowing no hits and no walks with five punchies over that most recent sample.

Again, it’s all about getting through the top third (ideally) of the order and turning it over to the next man. Counsell and Pat Murphy will be managing this one from the top step of the dugout as matchups dictate countermeasures and quick hooks. The shortest path from Point A to Point B is as Pete Crow-Armstrong flies, but plotting a route to collect 27 outs may end up being far more circuitous.

This may end up being like a game of keep-away in which the team that grabs the lead first will turtle in an attempt to protect whatever advantage it has gained. It could also turn into a lopsided slug-fest if one or more of the many arms being deployed can’t get the job done. I’d say that’s more likely to happen in the early going, so maybe the Cubs can jump way out in front against the Brewers’ opening pitcher.

Michael Busch keeps mashing, and he bats and plays first yet again. Then it’s Nico Hoerner at second, Kyle Tucker at DH, and Seiya Suzuki cleaning up in right. Ian Happ is in left, Carson Kelly is behind the plate, and Pete Crow-Armstrong is in center. Dansby Swanson is at short and Matt Shaw rounds things out at third base

The environment will no doubt be raucous, though it’s hard to imagine AmFam generating nearly the game-changing energy as Wrigley in Game 4. Murphy is doing his best to get it there, though, exhorting fans multiple times during Friday’s media session to “Get behind these guys” rather than being downtrodden after the last two losses. This is right up there with the constant reminders to Brewers fans not to sell their tickets on the secondary market.

They can’t act like they’ve been there because they haven’t been there, and that goes for players and fans alike.

“I mean, there is nobody on our team except for Yelich and Peralta that’s ever played in an away playoff game,” Murphy explained to reporters. “So they got their first taste of it in an unbelievable environment. It’s a good learning experience for a young team…

“Will they respond? They always do. I fully expect them to respond. That was a tough environment for two days for these young kids. They’re very young. Again, who on the team other than those two have been on the road for a playoff game? It’s hard to do.”

Being home again should make it easier on those young players, but the added pressure of an elimination game could very well make up for the Wrigley Effect. Given the Cubs’ more veteran roster, the magnitude of the situation should work in their favor. That said, they’ll have to make it happen against a stable of pitchers that includes Jacob Misiorowski, Abner Uribe, Trevor Megill, Aaron Ashby, and Chad Patrick.

Megill will get the “start,” and is likely to be used for only three outs at the most. Same for Uribe. The Miz went three innings against the Cubs the other day, Ashby has recorded four or more outs in three of the four games so far, and Patrick worked primarily as a starter in the regular season before shifting to short relief in this series.

One team’s season ends tonight, while the other will earn a date with the Dodgers in the NLCS. Time to fasten those seatbelts. First pitch is at 7:08pm CT on TBS, HBO Max, and 670 The Score.