Chicago Cubs lineup (9/28/24): Suzuki DH, Wisdom 3B, Hendricks likely to start last Cubs

The Cubs beat the Reds in an hour and 48 minutes on Friday, their quickest game since May 24, 2001, when Jon Lieber threw a complete game against – you guessed it – the Reds. It was the shortest MLB game since 2010 and the fifth shortest in the last 20 years, and there hasn't been a shorter game at Wrigley since June 3, 1978 against the Phillies.

Better to stay as a very underrated pitcher, a bit like Mark Buerhle on the South Side. Both guys could absolutely carve and worked just as quickly and efficiently as anyone else in the game. A few years before Lieber went to the Cubs, I saw Greg Maddux pitching for the Braves in the first half of a doubleheader. It took him just two hours and seven minutes to dominate his old team in a one-run game. I could have sworn it was a shutout in less than two hours. Sometimes it's best not to let facts ruin the story.

Now we come to the next generation of those pitchers: Kyle Hendricks, a man who could hang with the best of them in his prime. Those days are long gone, but he has a chance to end his Cubs career with a bounce-back performance. We saw this recently in Colorado, and at various points throughout the rest of the year, some of that old glory was showing through the rust.

Hendricks says he wants to keep pitchingalthough continuing with the Cubs beyond this year seems like a tall order. We can worry about that in the future, but now is the time to celebrate what he means to this organization. It sure would be nice if the lineup celebrated him with a bunch of early runs.

Ian Happ leads on the left, followed by Dansby Swanson at short and Cody Bellinger at right-back. Seiya Suzuki returns after a short time out due to an ankle injury and will be the DH, Michael Busch is first and Nico Hoerner is second. Pete Crow-Armstrong is at center, Patrick Wisdom is at third and Miguel Amaya is the catcher.

They face Rhett Lowder, who sounds like he should be a backup tight end or slot receiver at an SEC school. Lowder, the Reds' first pick in last summer's draft and No. 7 overall, was great at Wake Forest and rocketed through the minors this year. He only needed five starts at High-A, 16 at Double-A and one at Triple-A before getting the call to Cincy.

The 22-year-old right-hander has been excellent in five starts so far, allowing just four earned runs in 25.2 innings. His 21 strikeouts are slightly lower than expected and his 11 walks are slightly higher, but he avoids barrels at an elite rate and has yet to give up a home run. Unless the wind conditions improve this afternoon, he should be able to keep the ball in the field.

Lowder is not what you would expect from a guy who matriculated to the bigs so quickly, especially if you use Paul Skenes as an example. Instead of blowing hitters away with triple-digit heat, the Reds' rookie uses a balanced attack in which his slider, four-seam and sinker are thrown at nearly identical frequencies. The changeup makes up the remaining 20% ​​of his mix and it was his “worst” pitch to date, but it could be deadly if he can continue to work it out on his own.

The 85 mph slider is a gyro offering with good depth that typically lands in the middle-middle or middle-bottom, then his 94 mph fastball has plenty of travel to work the top of the zone. Lowder often increases the value too much, hence the higher walk numbers, so that's something to watch out for. As he matures and takes command on the field, he could pose a big problem for opposing batsmen.

The sinker comes in at about 92 and puts pressure on the right-hander's hands while the 86 mph changeup stays on the same side with good tumble. He throws change with a sort of volcanic grip he developed as a kid, and it was among the best offspeed pitches in the NCAA last year, so perhaps it's only a matter of time before he breaks through.

The Vulcan can be useful for pitchers who have problems with pronation because you don't have to turn it over, just throw it hard and let the handle do the work. Judging by the relatively small velo distance between change and fastball, this appears to be Lowder's general strategy. Again, if we were able to tunnel this off the sinker, it could lead to great success in the future.

I wonder if the Reds will work with him to better utilize the glove side of the plate. At this point he's high, low and arm-side covered, but he could benefit greatly from something else that gives him a different look in terms of shape or speed.

Encounters like these are fun because it pits the old guard against the new, giving us a bit of something to look forward to, even if the game itself means nothing. First pitch is at 1:20 pm CT at Marquee and 670 The Score.

Game 2 against Cincinnati!

Tune in: https://t.co/Gs2hZXyTjH pic.twitter.com/NE6BNdyvnP

– Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) September 28, 2024