Cubs vs. Red Sox Lineups (Game 1 & 2): Bregman's Back! High Stakes, Taylor & Shaw

After a playoff-clinching day at Wrigley Field, the Chicago Cubs have traveled into hazardous territory.

Not only have the Boston Red Sox been one of baseball's best second-half teams, but the elements will also be a huge factor. The East Coast is supposed to get slammed with storms this weekend, which is why the two teams have already opted for a doubleheader on Friday.

Game Info

Who: Chicago Cubs (87-71) at Boston Red Sox (85-74)
Where: Fenway Park
When: 12:05 PM CT
Watch: Marquee Sports Network
Listen: 104.3 The Score

Projected Chicago Cubs Lineup

1. Pete Crow-Armstrong, CF
2. Seiya Suzuki, RF
3. Alex Bregman, DH
4. Tyrone Taylor, LF
5. Nico Hoerner, 2B
6. Matt Shaw, 3B
7. Michael Busch, 1B
8. Dansby Swanson, SS
9. Miguel Amaya, C

The Chicago Cubs will be going with their pretty standard lefty lineup against Alec Gamboa. Tyrone Taylor will be in the cleanup spot as he continues to dominate southpaws with a .308 batting average. Nico Hoerner will then slide into the five-hole, while Matt Shaw will start for the first time since September 22.

Speaking of which, Shaw will be stationed at third base for the banged-up Alex Bregman. But that doesn't mean the veteran isn't ready to make his return! After missing only three games, Bregman is shockingly back in the lineup and batting third out of the DH spot. You can't help but admire the toughness!

Projected Boston Red Sox Lineup

1. Roman Anthony, LF
2. Mickey Gasper, C
3. Adley Rutschman, DH
4. Wilyer Abreu, RF
5. Caleb Durbin, 3B
6. Nick Sogard, 2B
7. Jarren Duran, CF
8. Andruw Monasterio, 1B
9. Isiah Kiner-Kalefa, SS

On the Mound ...

Sep 12, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher Clay Holmes (25) throws the ball against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Cubs – Clay Holmes, RHP

Clay Holmes is hoping for a bounceback day. In his last start against the Reds, he got rocked for 6 earned runs. His command was all over the place, walking five batters in his 5.1 innings of work. To be clear, he only gave up three hits on the night, but that's the kind of damage that can be done when you're giving up so many free bases.

This should be a decent matchup for Holmes. The Red Sox don't offer a ton of pop, and they have a groundball rate of about 42.7 percent this season. Still, if the control isn't there, this could be another long day.

Red Sox – Alec Gamboa, LHP

This will be only Alec Gamboa's second start of the season. He will be operating as an opener for the Red Sox, who will be going with a bullpen game in this first of two. The left has been very good this season with a 1.16 ERA, though it has been in pretty limited action (31 innings).

While one might assume that this approach for the Red Sox bodes well for the Cubs, they have arguably the best bullpen in baseball.

Game 2 Info

Who: Chicago Cubs (87-71) at Boston Red Sox (85-74)
Where: Fenway Park
When: 5:35 PM CT
Watch: Marquee Sports Network
Listen: 104.3 The Score

The Boston Red Sox have moved the start time for their second game against the Cubs up 30 minutes due to the looming weather on the East Coast. This comes in the wake of adding this doubleheader to the calendar to avoid potential issues. There are reportedly conversations about moving the team's next game to a neutral site to get it in on time before the Wild Card round.

This post will be updated with more information.

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