Cubs vs. Sox Lineup: Swanson & Kelly Sit, Bad Matchup for Taillon? More

The Cubs let the White Sox have their fun. The first few innings of action Friday were as tightly-contested as many hoped, as the Sox even managed to tie things up after the Cubs snatched a 4-1 advantage.

Nevertheless, one team has World Series aspirations; the other is just thrilled to be at .500. This only became more apparent as the night went on. Before we knew it, the Cubs looked like their old self and put 10 runs on the board for the first time in nearly a month. Six different players walked off the field with an RBI, as the Cubs simply looked like the more complete and mature team.

Will they continue to look like the big brother in Game 2, or can the White Sox take another step in the right direction and tie the series up? Stay tuned!

Game Info

Who: Chicago Cubs (29-16) at Chicago White Sox (21-21)
Where: Rate Field
When: 6:10 PM CT
Watch: Marquee Sports Network, Chicago Sports Network,
Listen: 104.3 The Score, ESPN 1000

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, LF
7. Matt Shaw, 2B
8. Pete Crow-Armstrong, CF
9. Miguel Amaya, C

The Cubs have been among the worst teams with runners in scoring position over the last couple of weeks. But you sure wouldn't have guessed it on Friday night! They came into the game with a contact-first mentality, tallying 14 hits and going 6-for-14 with runners in scoring position. It was the exact kind of offensive explosion they needed after an ugly 1-4 stretch.

Carson Kelly was the catalyst for this big night. The catcher had four RBIs on three hits: A line drive to center in the fourth, a ground ball single in the seventh, and a huge ground rule double in the eighth. Alas, Craig Counsell has decided to go back to Miguel Amaya in the backstop. Will that be the right move after such a hot performance?

Both Michael Conforto and Matt Shaw have also entered the starting lineup. The former will take over duties in left field and move Ian Happ to DH. As for the latter, he will be at second base and push Nico Hoerner to shortstop, as Dansby Swanson will begin the night in the dugout.

To be honest, I'm surprised to see Counsell shake things up this much after such a productive outing. Do I think this means they will return to their cold ways? Not really, as their bench guys have been excellent when subbing in this season. Moises Ballesteros also didn't have the slump-busting game fans were hoping for last night, so sitting him makes plenty of sense. Still, it's not every day you see the ole (*takes deep breath*) right-left-right-switch-right-left-right-left-right lineup!

Chicago White Sox Lineup

1. Sam Antonacci, LF
2. Munetaka Murakami, 1B
3. Miguel Vargas, 3B
4. Colson Montgomery, SS
5. Chase Meidroth, 2B
6. Andrew Benintendi, DH
7. Jarred Kelenic, RF
8. Tristan Peters, CF
9. Drew Romo, C

The White Sox are going with an identical look this evening at The Rate. For what it's worth, this feels like the right move. Not only is this a somewhat similar pitching matchup, but the Sox played pretty darn well on Friday night. They got some great stuff from the top of their lineup, which included a huge home run from Colson Montgomery and a pair of hits from Miguel Vargas. Likewise, the bottom three in the order all came out of the night with an RBI.

The main thing to watch out for will be what Will Venable decides to do with the DH spot again. When the Cubs switched to Ryan Rolison midway through the game, Randal Grichuk quickly entered for Andrew Benintendi. I'd expect to see something similar this afternoon, depending on who Craig Counsell turns to. Grichuk has hit the ball really well since arriving on the South Side.

On the Mound ...

May 10, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher Jameson Taillon (50) throws to the plate during the first inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

Cubs – Jameson Taillon, RHP

Jameson Taillon is coming off a solid performance against the Texas Rangers. It was only the third time this season he was able to hold an opponent to one or fewer earned runs. He also allowed only four hits in his 5.1 innings of work.

The only problem is that he walked a pair of batters and hit another. His lack of command has certainly been odd to start this season. This has long been Taillon's bread and butter, yet his walk rate has jumped from 5.2 percent last season to 8.6 percent over his first eight starts. This will be something to keep an eye on against a Sox team that has forced its fair share of trips to first base this season.

I'd also be remiss not to mention that Taillon has given up 11 home runs this season, which is tied for the second-most in baseball. And guess the team that has hit the fourth-most homers to start the year? Munetaka Murakami and Colson Montgomery are salivating at the thought of this matchup.

White Sox – Davis Martin, RHP

The Cubs may get to dodge the flame-throwing Noah Schultz this series, but they will have to try their hand at beating Davis Martin. Believe it or not, the 29-year-old has been among the best arms in the league with a 1.62 ERA in his eight starts. He's been in a ridiculous rhythm over his last two starts, striking out a combined 19 batters with only two walks and one earned run.

Similar to Taillon, there isn't necessarily one thing that Martin does better than anyone. He relies far more on a steady mix of pitches and some extremely good control. Batters have repeatedly been caught looking thanks to his excellent placement, which has also helped keep his walk rate at just 5.2 percent (92nd percentile).

The good news for the Cubs is that they have been pretty good at staying locked in at the plate and not going after pitches. Part of what has made Martin such an effective strikeout machine has been his chase rate.

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