Maddon shuns 'set lineup' in Cubs win
For those longing for the Chicago Cubs to go to a "set lineup," manager Joe Maddon has a message for you: It ain't happening.
Instead, Maddon will continue to mix and match his pieces.
"It's always been an amusing thing, where people are always concerned about a 'set lineup,' " Maddon said before Monday night's 3-1 victory over the Miami Marlins at Wrigley Field. "I think it's better to do it this way.
"I think it keeps people fresher for the entire season. When you get them on the right guy, they have a better chance to be successful. For a variety of different reasons, folks, all those people out there worried about a set lineup, please, it's not necessary."
The so-called set lineup is pretty much a thing of the past in baseball for many reasons. Advanced analytics have empowered teams to know who hits whom well and who doesn't. Maddon also is big on resting his players. In the Cubs' case, they're also deep enough to be able to have more than one option at several positions.
In Sunday's 7-6 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals, rookie Ian Happ started in center field and hit a pair of home runs. On Monday, Happ found himself on the bench as Maddon made good on his promise to find Albert Almora Jr. some playing time by starting him in center.
Almora homered off former Cub Dan Straily in the fourth inning to give the Cubs a 3-0 lead. Kris Bryant homered into the teeth of a 17-mph wind in the first to put the Cubs ahead 2-0.
"I know my role," said Almora, who has 3 homers. "I'm a competitor and I want to play. But it's not about me. It's about the Chicago Cubs winning another World Series."
The Cubs' core of Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Kyle Schwarber and Willson Contreras plays on most days, and that's about as "set" as the Cubs get.
"If you just move one or two guys, all of a sudden, it's not a set lineup," Maddon said. "Primarily, the core of that group is still intact. It's been intact almost the whole season.
"We have to get other people involved. I had this set up the day before. Actually before Happ hit the 2 home runs yesterday, I had this set up for the day this way. So regardless of what Happ did yesterday, Almora was still going to play today."
The Cubs got what they could reasonably have expected from their own starting pitcher, Eddie Butler (3-1). He worked 5⅔ innings, giving up a run in the sixth before Maddon went to Mike Montgomery, who went the rest of the way for a save.
"We were ahead (in the count) the whole time, kept the guys on their toes; they made a lot of good plays out there," Butler said. "That's huge, to keep them on their toes to be able to go deep into games."