Chicago Cubs Lineup (6/5/26): Hoerner Leads Off, Kelly DH, Cabrera Starting
The Cubs haven’t played a day game in a week and a half, so this Friday afternoon affair is like an oasis, just like their improbable walk-off win last night. At the risk of ascribing more value to it than it’s due, a comeback like that can really jump-start things, especially when multiple scuffling players had a hand in it. Snapping the home losing streak was also huge, and now the Cubs have 12 consecutive games against bottom-feeding teams.
They also get one of their key starters back, with Edward Cabrera coming off the IL after resolving a blister issue on his right middle finger. It was apparently something he’d been battling for more than just his most recent start, which could explain some of the inconsistency with his breaking stuff. Having the confidence to really bear down and spin it should yield good results this afternoon.
Just sharing a pic of the lineup again because my son’s got a split doubleheader today. They opened the travel season last night at Butler University, and he started things off with a bang. Homered in his first AB, a fly ball that I estimated at around 375 feet, then had a stand-up triple the next time up. The pitching left a lot to be desired, but a win is a win.
Anyway, here’s the batting order…
They’re facing veteran lefty Robbie Ray, who has never gotten back to anything resembling his Cy Young performance for Toronto in 2021. He signed a deal with the Mariners the following season and was fine in 2022, but he blew out his elbow just 3.1 innings into the ’23 campaign. The Giants were willing to trade for him as damaged goods, acquiring him in January of ’24.
Ray came back for some of the second half that season, and he made 32 starts with a 3.65 ERA last year to earn an All-Star nod. This season has not gotten off to a strong start, either for him or the Giants, as both his fastball and slider have been subpar pitches. The velocities of both are right in line with his career norms, but the latter might be suffering from what looks like a more traditional shape.
Ray’s slider hasn’t typically operated like most of its kind, getting less depth and glove-side movement, which might normally be seen as a bad thing. However, there are times when a pitch can be deceptive by not behaving the way hitters think it should. They pick up spin and subconsciously sync up their swing to meet the ball where their brain tells them it should end up, but it’s not there.
Ray’s slider has not only been worse at avoiding barrels, it’s also carrying out of the zone a little more for batters to spit on easily. He’s always been a fly-ball guy who carried a pretty high walk rate, but now he’s not getting as much chase as in the past. We should hope that means better results for Cubs hitters, who come into this matchup with a collective .182/.265/.364 slash line that includes just one homer in 44 at-bats. Even the right-handed batters have struggled against him.
First pitch is at 1:20pm CT on Marquee and The Score.
