MLB: Cincinnati Reds at Chicago Cubs MLB: Cincinnati Reds at Chicago CubsMay 31, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher Drew Pomeranz (45) delivers against the Cincinnati Reds during the first inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images

Cubs’ manager playing strategy; Drew Pomeranz to start Sunday

Originally posted on ChiCitySports | By Tyler Koerth | Last updated Sep 7, 2025 2:00 PM ET

The Chicago Cubs split the first two out of three games with the Washington Nationals, winning by a score of 11-5 on Friday and dropping a 2-1 ballgame on Saturday. For Sunday’s finale, manager Craig Counsell appears to be playing matchups and will be starting southpaw Drew Pomeranz.

Drew Pomeranz will start the Chicago Cubs finale against the Washington Nationals

After throwing a scoreless inning against Washington on Saturday, Pomeranz will be handed the ball as the game’s starter on Sunday. This will be the 36 year olds fourth start of the season, with the last coming on July 5. Notably, Pomeranz hasn’t thrown more than 1.1 innings or more than 25 pitches in an outing all season, so after throwing 11 pitches on Saturday, he isn’t expected to work much past the first inning.

Why start Drew Pomeranz?

MLB: Colorado Rockies at Chicago Cubs MLB: Colorado Rockies at Chicago Cubs May 26, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Drew Pomeranz (45) pitches during the eighth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images

If the Nationals deploy the same lineup they did on Saturday, three out of their first five batters will be left-handed hitters. Of those five, Josh Bell is a switch hitter, has been batting third in the lineup, and has just a .194 batting average against south paws this year. Starting Pomeranz is strictly a matchup based move that Counsell feels would benefit the Cubs before handing the ball over to someone who will cover bulk innings.

We will see if this move pays off or not. The last time Pomeranz started a game, against the Cardinals, he was only able to record one out, gave up a hit, walked two batters, and was tagged with two earned runs. Hopefully this outing yields much better results.

This article first appeared on ChiCitySports and was syndicated with permission.

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