The second- and third-best NL teams face off tonight in a one game playoff.
Interestingly, the Cubs have decided to go extremely lefty-heavy, which means putting Kris Bryant in LF, Kyle Schwarber in RF and Tommy La Stella at 3b. Further, they've got La Stella batting fifth.
I'm pretty surprised that they're rolling the dice on the defense behind Arrieta in what's likely to be a low-scoring game. Schwarber isn't quite Hanley in LF, but he definitely looks like a catcher playing OF, and now he's going to be in RF. Schwarber has 14 innings in RF this year. Bryant has 39 innings in LF.
This feels like they're being too cute by half, but I'm comfortable assuming there is a method to this seeming madness.
Here's the full lineup:
Fowler CF, Schwarber RF, Bryant LF, Rizzo 1B, La Stella 3B, Castro 2B, Montero C, Russell SS, Arrieta P
Edit:
Meanwhile, the Pirates are benching Pedro Alvarez for the recently-hot and superior defender Sean Rodriguez.
Edit #2:
This is apparently the first time this season either team is using the lineup they're trotting out tonight.
Edit #3:
Arrieta apparently a believer in the G38 "I love to make 55,000 people from [Pittsburgh] shut up" approach...
https://twitter.com/jarrieta34/status/650799923017945088
https://twitter.com/JArrieta34/status/651184722270261248
Interestingly, the Cubs have decided to go extremely lefty-heavy, which means putting Kris Bryant in LF, Kyle Schwarber in RF and Tommy La Stella at 3b. Further, they've got La Stella batting fifth.
I'm pretty surprised that they're rolling the dice on the defense behind Arrieta in what's likely to be a low-scoring game. Schwarber isn't quite Hanley in LF, but he definitely looks like a catcher playing OF, and now he's going to be in RF. Schwarber has 14 innings in RF this year. Bryant has 39 innings in LF.
This feels like they're being too cute by half, but I'm comfortable assuming there is a method to this seeming madness.
Here's the full lineup:
Fowler CF, Schwarber RF, Bryant LF, Rizzo 1B, La Stella 3B, Castro 2B, Montero C, Russell SS, Arrieta P
Edit:
Meanwhile, the Pirates are benching Pedro Alvarez for the recently-hot and superior defender Sean Rodriguez.
Edit #2:
This is apparently the first time this season either team is using the lineup they're trotting out tonight.
Edit #3:
Arrieta apparently a believer in the G38 "I love to make 55,000 people from [Pittsburgh] shut up" approach...
https://twitter.com/jarrieta34/status/650799923017945088
https://twitter.com/JArrieta34/status/651184722270261248