Cubs vs. Braves Lineup: Conforto at DH, Bad Matchup for Imanaga? Getting Lucky, More

The Chicago Cubs' relief pitching did it again.

Sitting pretty on Tuesday night at Wrigley Field, Jacob Webb came into the game and forked over the lead. Then, it was Edward Cabrera's turn to make his first appearance out of the bullpen. While he looked sharp at first, disaster inevitably struck when Drake Baldwin took him deep with two outs on the board.

The only good news for the Cubs is that the Phillies also lost last night, meaning they remained at the top of the NL Wild Card race. Still, if they want to control their own destiny the rest of the way, winning this series against another NL favorite feels like a must.

Game Info

Who: Atlanta Braves (89-63) at Chicago Cubs (84-67)
Where: Wrigley Field
When: 6:40 CT
Watch: Marquee Sports Network
Listen: 104.3 The Score

Chicago Cubs Lineup

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

The Chicago Cubs are going back to their typical order for the series finale. Michael Busch is back in the three-hole, meaning Alex Bregman slides down to cleanup. Ian Happ is also starting in left field after Tyrone Taylor took over with a southpaw on the mound yesterday.

As for Matt Shaw, he will also move back into the dugout after a strong outing. The second-year utility man had two hits and a walk against Atlanta, coming around the bags to score once. All things considered, one has to wonder if we could see Craig Counsell give him some more at-bats against righties ahead of the postseason. We saw this plenty to begin the year.

Michael Conforto will take Shaw's spot at DH. While he's hit just .176 over his last seven games, the veteran still has 4 RBIs and a pair of walks during that stretch. There is no doubt the Cubs have plenty of options at their disposal down the stretch, but Counsell clearly trusts what the veteran brings to the table.

Atlanta Braves Lineup

1. Ronald Acuña Jr., DH
2. Drake Baldwin, DH
3. Matt Olson, 1B
4. Ozzie Albies, 2B
5. Michael Harris II, CF
6. Mauricio Dubón, LF
7. Austin Riley, 3B
8. Sean Murphy, C
9. Ha-Seong Kim, SS

On the Mound ...

Sep 11, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher Shota Imanaga (18) delivers the ball during the first inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Cubs – Shota Imanaga, LHP

Shota Imanaga put together another strong outing against the Pittsburgh Pirates in his last time out. While he did allow another homer, he limited the damage to just 2 earned runs on five hits in 6.0 innings. This came after a gem against the Miami Marlins, where he also went 6.0 innings with only a single earned run on three hits.

Nevertheless, this is a pretty scary matchup for the southpaw. The Atlanta Braves have plenty of hard hitters in their lineup and currently have the 7th-most homers on the season. The last time Imanaga faced a squad that was Top 7 in long balls, he gave up three before being yanked from the game (August 30 vs. Reds).

I guess that just means that if he is able to make it out of this contest with the upper-hand, the Cubs can feel even better about him heading into October.

Braves – JR Ritchie, RHP

The Chicago Cubs have a massive opportunity in front of them. Heading into this series, it was unclear if they would have to face one of the Braves' Top 3 starters in this finale. Well, they have dodged that outcome, instead getting a matchup with rookie JR Ritchie.

He has only eight starts under his belt and 14 total MLB appearances with a 4.50 ERA. The Cubs should have a good opportunity to jump on him early. He tends to walk his fair share of batters and gives up plenty of hard contact. To his credit, he does have a deep arsenal of pitches and can induce a fair share of ground balls. But there is no doubt the Cubs' offense should have the advantage from the jump.

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