Cubs lineup Game 2 of 162
The second game of the season matches the Chicago Cubs fireballer, Yu Darvish against his former club for the first time. Darvish has a career 3.60 ERA with 31 wins in 65 career games.
The Cubs will also toss Kris Bryant in left for the first time this season, while riding David Bote at third. Ben Zobrist gets the start at second and leads off, while Kyle Schwarber is the Cubs DH.
Albert Almora is in the ninth spot today, a far cry from where he was against Mike Minor in the opener. This is more about Almora’s difficulty hitting right handed pitchers, with plus breaking balls, than anything else. Without another “centerfielder” on the roster, Joe Maddon will need to ride Almora more, and giving him that last spot in the order can pay off. Not only does he start to get near everyday time, but if he starts hitting righties he will become an asset in the nine-hole by flipping the order.
