Pros:
*Rizzo - Even with a 1-9 start to the season, last night was some progress. He is taking better at bats. That late inning sequence in which he battled to 3-2, to take an inside pitch yard was a look of a more mature Rizzo. I am liking the set hand position in his swing's pre-load, more opportunity to square up the ball with less dancing around.
*Bonifacio - Beyond the pickoffs (so frustrating), he has been a nice early surprise. Two 4 hit games already this season with a .750 BA. I like what he brings to the top of the lineup.
*Jackson - It wasn't the prettiest start, but there were some bright spots. He battled for 5.1 innings for 5Ks, 4B, and scattered 2 hits with 1 ER. He worked his way into trouble a few times, but made good pitches to get out of some bad situations.
Cons:
*The Lineup - I do NOT like Castro in the 3 hole. Castro was out a few weeks with the Hamstring injury and his timing may be a little off. That is not the description of a player that I want in the 3 spot of the lineup. Additionally, I do not like having Olt on the squad just to bench him game 2. There may be some resting strategies at play due to that shoulder soreness he was dealing with this spring. That being said, the Cubs lineup is better with Olt protecting Rizzo in the lineup. I think the best options for 1-2 in the lineup are Bonifacio and Castro. Castro is a contact hitter with some legs. The hit and run potential with those two makes me excited.
*RISP - 1 for 27 after two games. This team is starved for a big hit. I am looking to Rizzo, Olt and Castro to step up as leaders for these situations. The silver lining is that this is a series Vs. a team that won over 90 games last year due to there solid staff and bullpen.
Coming up next!
Jason Hammel in his Cub debut vs. Wandy Rodriguez at 11:35 Ct.
-CC
