"The Cubs are not in a great place at the moment. They've lost four straight games heading into a finale against the best team in baseball. And that team is throwing their best starter, Chris Sale, at home, against the Cubs ... seventh(?) starting pitcher on the depth chart. Eighth? Twelfth? Who could keep track anymore?"
"I do have high hopes for Ben Brown, but the Braves are a very good team. I'll probably give him some leeway tonight if things go sideways. By contrast, if the following Cubs lineup finally breaks out of their funk against Sale, that'll feel like a MIGHTY big relief. Let's go, guys. The Brewers and White Sox are looming. We can't limp into those series like this."
"Ben Brown had finally broken out as a reliever when he was roped back into the rotation following Matthew Boyd's second injury of the year. And because that injury required surgery, this spot in the rotation is Brown's to own for a while, I'd imagine. Brown's first start this year was very good, albeit brief, as he was ramping up/stretching out, with 4.0 hitless, scoreless innings against the Rangers in Texas."
"In any case, he's out in right field tonight, batting fifth, and pushing Seiya Suzuki to DH. That, of course, means both Moises Ballesteros and Michael Conforto are on the bench. Also on the bench? Carson Kelly, with Miguel Amaya starting behind the plate and batting eighth. Pete Crow-Armstrong mans center and hits ninth."
The Cubs enter a finale after losing four straight games and face the best team in baseball, with Chris Sale starting at home. Ben Brown, a right-handed pitcher who returned to the rotation after Matthew Boyd’s second injury, is tasked with holding the game together. Brown previously delivered four scoreless innings in his first start while ramping up. The Cubs lineup features Nico Hoerner at second, Alex Bregman at third, Ian Happ in left, Seiya Suzuki as the designated hitter, Matt Shaw in right batting fifth, and Michael Busch at first. Dansby Swanson starts at short, Miguel Amaya catches and bats eighth, and Pete Crow-Armstrong plays center and bats ninth. Moises Ballesteros and Michael Conforto sit on the bench.
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