NLDS Game 2 Preview: Lineup Chess, Bullpen Math, and a Must-Win Night

Monday Morning Cubs Show · Oct 6, 2025 · 39m · transcript

One announcement turned a routine preview into a chess match: Milwaukee’s going with a lefty opener, Aaron Ashby, and that single move forces us to redraw the Cubs’ lineup from pitch one. We walk through the real implications of a lefty first inning in October—why Michael Busch can’t gift a guaranteed plate appearance to a tough southpaw, how two righties in the first three hitters can tilt early leverage, and what it means for the middle of the order once the bullpen carousel starts spinning. This isn’t theory; it’s about ring-fencing runs in a game that will likely be decided by inches.

We…