Jorge Soler hasn't even played a full season's worth of games in the majors, but he loves hitting in Busch Stadium.
He'll get a chance to do it again on the biggest stage yet since he gets a start Saturday in Game 2 of the Cubs' NL Division Series against the Cardinals.
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Soler will bat second against St. Louis left-hander Jaime Garcia and play right field, the biggest change in Chicago's lineup after its 4-0 loss in Game 1 a day earlier. Soler's addition will push Kyle Schwarber to the bench, and the Cubs will have a pair of new corner outfielders with Austin Jackson starting in left field ahead of Chris Coghlan.
#NLDS Game 2. #LetsGo Game preview: http://t.co/zHkZvpgwhH #FlyTheW pic.twitter.com/pwA0Mf31dN
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) October 10, 2015
In six career games in St. Louis, Soler is 9 for 20 with two doubles and two homers, good for a 1.305 OPS. It's a small sample size, to be sure, and Soler has a pedestrian .240/.370/.360 slash line against lefties this season, but the Cubs can't do any worse at the plate than they did in getting shut out Friday.
Manager Joe Maddon said before Game 1 that he planned to give Soler a shot at some point in the series, citing the way the 23-year-old has fought through oblique and ankle injuries this season.
"His attitude has been fabulous," Maddon said, via the Chicago Tribune. "He has been staying ready. He has been a great teammate. He knows what's at stake. You'll see him out there at some point."
