Cubs vs. Astros Lineup: Where is Happ Hitting? Taillon Home Run Scaries, More

The Chicago Cubs are in need of a bounce-back day, and a matchup with the equally cold Houston Astros could provide just that.

May 9, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Chicago Cubs left fielder Ian Happ (8) walks to the on deck circle during the game against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The chilly Chicago Cubs are set to take on the freezing Houston Astros. Talk about an exciting series at Wrigley Field!

In case you missed it, the team did at least give fans one reason to be excited this week. While it came at the expense of an IL stint for Matt Shaw, No. 2 prospect Pedro Ramírez received a call-up to the big league squad! To be sure, he isn't in the lineup this afternoon, but could his MLB debut still be on the docket today?

Game Info

Who: Houston Astros (20-31) at Chicago Cubs (29-20)
Where: Wrigley Field
When: 1:20 PM CT
Watch: Apple TV
Listen: 104.3 The Score

Chicago Cubs Lineup

1. Nico Hoerner, 2B
2. Michael Busch, 1B
3. Alex Bregman, 3B
4. Ian Happ, LF
5. Seiya Suzuki, RF
6. Michael Conforto, DH
7. Carson Kelly, C
8. Pete Crow-Armstrong, CF
9. Dansby Swanson, SS

The last time Craig Counsell went with this lineup, the Cubs lost 9-3. So ... what could go wrong!?

In all seriousness, we shouldn't be all that surprised to see the manager sticking with the status quo. As rough as things have been the couple of weeks, the last thing you want to do is make matters worse with some drastic changes. Every team slumps, and it sure didn't help that the Cubs were up against some genuinely fierce competition.

They now get to go up against an Astros team that has been among the league's worst in recent weeks. Could they still fall flat on their face? Sure, I wouldn't put anything past this Cubs offense right now. But Houston is currently the kind of opponent you want to welcome into your ballpark after a rough stretch.

With that said, I did think there was a slight chance we saw a different look near the top of the order. Alex Bregman had a very rough series against Milwaukee with one hit in his 12 at-bats. It continued an overall underwhelming start to 2026 for the reigning All-Star. As for Happ, his last hit came in the series opener against the White Sox. He's struck out 12 times over the last five contests. We all know he's flashed the power this year, but perhaps it's time to go with a different clean-up guy against righties.

Anyway, all eyes might as well be on Pete Crow-Armstrong this weekend. The young star is coming off one of the worst series of his career, which featured two brain-busting mistakes in the outfield. He admitted that his poor start at the plate has impacted him mentally, so might this acceptance be the first step in turning things around?

The Cubs can only hope.

Houston Astros Lineup

1. Jeremy Peña, SS
2. Isaac Paredes, 3B
3. Yordan Álvarez, DH
4. Christian Walker, 1B
5. Jake Meyers, CF
6. Braden Shewmake, 2B
7. Cam Smith, RF
8. Zach Cole, LF
9. Christian Vázquez, C

The Houston Astros have just a .593 OPS over their last 13 games. Their 33 runs scored in this stretch are the fourth-fewest in baseball. In other words, this is the Cubs' game to lose.

On the Mound ...

May 16, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher Jameson Taillon (50) delivers the ball against the Chicago White Sox during the first inning at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

Cubs – Jameson Taillon, RHP

Jameson Taillon against Yordan Alvarez? Nope, don't love that!

The Cubs' veteran is coming off one of his worst starts in a long time. The White Sox posted eight earned runs against Taillon on a ridiculous five home runs. No pitcher in baseball has now forked over more long balls this season than the 34-year-old. Still, the Cubs should feel a lot better heading into this matchup. The wind is blowing in at Wrigley, and this Astros offense is already prone to its fair share of pop-outs.

Astros – Spencer Arrighetti, RHP

Spencer Arrighetti has been one of the Astros' best arms this season. Is he as dominant as his 1.50 ERA suggests? Not necessarily, as his walk rate sits at an alarming 13.8 percent. But his hard-hit percentage has also ranked inside the 86th percentile, while his mid-70s curveball has still forced a fair share of swings and misses.

At the end of the day, the Cubs are going to have to stay patient at the plate today. This shouldn't be too challenging for them. Taking advantage of the base runners Arrighetti inevitably hands them, though? That will be the real difference-maker.

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