GameThread, 6/19/2022: Braves @ Cubs

Braves look to avoid the sweep behind Ian Anderson, with Kyle Hendricks opposing

As they look to beat up on Kyle Hendricks and avoid being swept at Wrigley Field, the Braves have made a few lineup moves. Marcell Ozuna grabs a bench spot in favor of both Travis d’Arnaud and William Contreras starting; Phil Gosselin gets his first start as a Brave in over seven years in lieu of Orlando Arcia. It’s possible that Arcia was scratched for some reason, but if not, it’s kind of weird that he gets an off-day after playing only about every 10 days before the injury to Ozzie Albies.

The Cubs rotate things around a bit too:

Jonathan Villar hits cleanup in the starting lineup for the first time ever in his 1,000+ game career (he’s entered the game in that spot but never started there). The first baseman hitting ninth is a rarity, but the Cubs are doing that too.

So, it’s a novel defensive arrangement and lineup for both teams. We’ll see what happens.