The Cubs are looking to salvage their three-game set with the Athletics and avoid a sweep at home, but after two pathetic games the vibes are at an all-time low
Jun 2, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong reacts after stealing second base against Athletics second baseman Jeff McNeil during the first inning at Wrigley Field.
Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images The Cubs are looking to salvage their three-game set with the Athletics and avoid a sweep at home, but after two pathetic games the vibes are at an all-time low in Wrigleyville. The Cubs are 3-7 in their last 10 games and are in danger of being swept by the Athletics tonight, a team that has no business beating this Chicago squad in a series this season .
Despite those results, Pete Crow-Armstrong is turning the corner with a .921 OPS in his last 10 games, including 2 home runs and 12 total hits. Pedro Ramirez and Moises Ballesteros are back in the lineup tonight, Ramirez getting his second start in a row, moving from 2B to DH. On Wednesday, Ramirez got four plate appearances for the first time since May 24th, going 0-4 but no strikeouts.
Michael Conforto gets the start with Seiya Suzuki getting rest from patrolling right field, but Conforto is in a rough stretch himself, batting .095 in his last 10 games. Reigning AL Player of the Month Nick Kurtz got the game-winning hit yesterday and will bat second tonight for the Athletics.
Langeliers gets the start at DH to face the lefty in Shota Imanaga, Colby Thomas gets the nod in RF replacing Lawrence Butler, and Henry Bolte leads off and plays CF tonight. May 29, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Shota Imanaga looks on after St. Louis Cardinals catcher Iván Herrera hit a solo home run during the fifth inning at Busch Stadium.
Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn ImagesThree more home runs allowed by Imanaga in his last start vs St. Louis, bringing his total to 13 on the season, as teams continue to crush his fastball with a .531 slugging percentage. The Athletics have been middle of the pack in terms of power, but Imanaga has to locate his pitches better. , Imanaga's pitches that were landing in the strike zone were essentially middle-cut.
And even with his newfound velocity, Imanaga can't live there with his stuff – and if he can't land his fastball, he can't set up his splitter or sweeper. Imanaga has to out-think hitters to win at-bats, and he can't do that if he's constantly having to throw his fastball behind in counts. May 23, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; Athletics pitcher J.T. Ginn delivers during the first inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park.
Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | Denis Poroy-Imagn ImagesThe 27-year-old Ginn has a 2.87 ERA on the season and a 2.37 ERA in his last 7 starts, allowing 2 runs or less in 6 of those 7 starts. Ginn had one bad outing recently at San Diego, lasting just 2.1 innings and walking 6 Padres on 73 pitches, but was only charged with 2 earned runs.
Ginn's primary pitch is his sinker that he throws just over 36% the time, mixing in his slider and cutter that play off the sinker, and then a change-up and four-seam fastball. The sinker creates a lot of awkward swings and weak contact for Ginn. He doesn't strikeout a lot of batters with a 7.84 K/9, but did have a 10K performance vs the Angels back on April 18th.
Sean Sears is a contributor for Sports Illustrated Cubs who previously wrote for NBC Sports Chicago and FanSided. He also worked as a producer at 104.3 The Score, running baseball shows like Hit & Run and Inside the Clubhouse. A graduate of Iowa State University, Sean lives in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood and spends his free time walking his dog around Wrigley Field and listening to Cubs games from his patio.
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