If this pitching matchup were for a regular-season game (or, we can dream, for a postseason game), the MSM would be all over it.
Carlos Zambrano faces John Lackey. Z will go five innings for the first time this spring. Although the Angels are a split-squad today, since this game is at the Angels' home park, we should see most of their regulars.
There isn't much news since my report yesterday of future pitching matchups; I'm excited to see Sean Gallagher throw in the split-squad game tomorrow at Maryvale. Well, except this from Bruce Miles: Ryan Dempster may be hurt:
"Parascapular spasms". I swear, you have to go to medical school these days just to be a baseball fan. I hope Dempster throws in the Maryvale game, so I can give you a firsthand report on how he looks. Sean Gallagher will indeed start the Maryvale game; Wade Miller will pitch in Mesa tomorrow.
There are plenty of places you can see today's game. It's on CSN Chicago. If you are in an area that is in the Angels' local TV territory, you can see it on FSN West. Or, the Mediacenter has it on MLB.TV, and also audio from both teams' radio stations, WGN and KSPN.
Here's MLB.com Gameday for those of you who have none of the above.
Finally, last night I was a guest at the home of Jim McLennan, the SB Nation blogger for the Diamondbacks at AZ Snakepit. He and his wife Chris were gracious hosts and we had a nice evening discussing baseball (and me admiring her collection of Star Trek plates). They were wearing matching D'backs jerseys (his saying "AZSnakepit.com", hers reading "Mrs. Snakepit", on the back). Adorable, if you ask me. Thanks again to them for their hospitality.
Cubs lineup for today, as always courtesy of Bruce Miles:
Soriano, CF
Theriot, 2B
Floyd, DH
Ramirez, 3B
Ward, 1B
Murton, LF
Pie, RF
Blanco, C
Izturis, SS
Zambrano, P
I like this lineup (particularly with Theriot hitting 2nd), but 1B may be an adventure today with Ward there. Still, they have to find out if he can play there, because he's really the only suitable backup for Derrek Lee.
Discuss amongst yourselves.