Baez starts for injured Russell as Cubs eye NLCS berth
The Chicago Cubs will vie for a spot in the National League Championship Series on Tuesday without shortstop Addison Russell, who was omitted from the lineup for Game 4 of the NLDS against the St. Louis Cardinals due to a hamstring injury.
| No. | Player | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dexter Fowler (S) | CF |
| 2 | Jorge Soler | RF |
| 3 | Kris Bryant | 3B |
| 4 | Anthony Rizzo (L) | 1B |
| 5 | Starlin Castro | 2B |
| 6 | Kyle Schwarber (L) | LF |
| 7 | Miguel Montero (L) | C |
| 8 | Jason Hammel | P |
| 9 | Javier Baez | SS |
Javier Baez, the 22-year-old who collected his first postseason hit in Monday's 8-6 win, will start at shortstop in lieu of Russell, who was removed from Game 3 with tightness in his left hamstring after stroking a fourth-inning triple.
Jason Hammel, meanwhile, will make his fourth career postseason start - and his first since 2012 - when he takes the mound at Wrigley Field. The 33-year-old right-hander fashioned a 3.74 ERA (104 ERA+) in 31 starts this season, but fared better on the road than he did in Chicago.
On Monday, the Cubs established a new postseason record by blasting six home runs against the Cardinals, powering their way to a 2-1 series lead in the best-of-five matchup.