Cubs vs. Tigers Lineup: Conforto Starts, Old Reliable for the Series Finale, More

How badly did the Chicago Cubs beat the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday?

Manager A.J. Hinch put a position player on the mound in the 7th inning. Yes, you read that right. And, yes, it was a disgraceful decision that everyone hated! Just forfiet at that point!

Anyhow, the Cubs now have a new challenge: Get Zach McKinstry back on the mound by the 5th and win the series!

Game Info

Who: Detroit Tigers (47-54) at Chicago Cubs (57-44)
Where: Wrigley Field
When: 7:10 PM CT
Watch: Marquee Sports Network
Listen: 104.3 The Score, Univision TUDN, WPPN 106.7 / TUDN

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, 2B
7. Michael Conforto, DH
8. Carson Kelly, C
9. Dansby Swanson, SS

After lighting up a lefty on Tuesday, the Cubs will now mix things up against a righty. Michael Busch will move back up into the three-hole, while Alex Bregman will slide down a spot into clean-up. Carson Kelly surprisingly hit the four-spot in the 11-2 win, but he will now drop back down to 8th in the order.

The biggest change will come at DH. Seiya Suzuki will head to right field to allow Michael Conforto to enter the fold. The veteran joined some Cubs history a little less than 24 hours ago, smashing his fourth pinch-hit home run of the season. Craig Counsell will now reward him with the start.

What the Cubs would really love is to see Ian Happ finish the series strong. He has hit his way on base in each of the last two games, which included smashing a two-run homer in the series opener. Someone who we all know can be hot and cold, he's going to need to heat up in this second half.

Detroit Tigers Lineup

1. Kevin McGonigle, SS
2. Dillon Dingler, C
3. Colt Keith, 3B
4. Riley Greene, LF
5. Spencer Torkelson, 1B
6. Kerry Carpenter, DH
7. Zach McKinstry, RF
8. Hao-Yu Lee, 3B
9. James Outman, CF

The Tigers really like to shake up their order. While there are shades of their Game 1 lineup against Jameson Taillon, Detroit is moving Dillon Dingler into the two-hole and moving Spencer Torkelson up. They will also go with Hao-Yu Lee for the second straight game, who has a six-game hitting streak going.

On the Mound ...

Jul 8, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher Colin Rea (53) pitches in the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Chicago Cubs – Colin Rea, RHP

You know what to expect with Colin Rea (aka Old Reliable). While he isn't going to limit the damage entirely, he should be able to hold an opponent to 2 or 3 runs and go a little over 5.0 innings of work. Considering he was never expected to be a starter for this group, it's the kind of performance the Cubs are happy to live with. At the end of the day, it just means the offense is going to have to be ready to do some work.

With that said, Rea is coming off one of his better strikeout performances of the year. He threw six Ks against the Minnesota Twins and only walked a single batter. The last time he went an outing with one walk or fewer was on June 20.

Detroit Tigers – Keider Montero, RHP

The Detroit Tigers' Keider Montero is having a very strong year. His strikeout rate may only sit at 17.5 percent, but he carries a 3.22 ERA thanks to his excellent command and ability to limit hard contact. Lefties can expect to see a heavy dose of his four-seam fastball that clocks in around 94 mph. As for his fellow righties, they will have to handle a 95 mph sinker.

To be sure, Montero is going to give the Cubs plenty of balls to hit. The question is just going to be whether they can make good enough contact. Montero has been awesome at limiting free passes, recording just a 5.5 walk rate on the year. He's also been coming out of the bullpen over the last couple of weeks, so perhaps the Cubs can jump on him early as he settles back into a starting role.

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