There's only one bit of info I want to share up here today. If the Cubs win tonight, they will have won the series, and thus 10 straight series, for the first time since '07.
NINETEEN-O-SEVEN.
Making history every day. This is the best Cub team in my lifetime, and maybe a lifetime before that. Savor every moment.
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Ian Snell threw well in his last start. To which I say, "Good for him." Snell's ERA has been over 6 for much of the last month; he's 1-5, 6.31 lifetime vs. the Cubs, including this game on August 3 at Wrigley Field, (a rematch of a game vs. Z) where he allowed seven hits and three walks over four innings. The Cubs won the game after Snell was gone. Alfonso Soriano is 7-for-15 (3 HR) vs. Snell; Jim Edmonds and Ronny Cedeno have both homered off him and even Z is 2-for 4, including a RBI double in the 8/3 game.
As for Z, he seems back on track after his last outing. He's 6-1, 3.47 in 11 career starts at PNC Park, including this May 23 game, which, oddly, had the same score as last night's. Jason Bay used to hit Z real well, but he's with the Red Sox now. The only current Pirate who has homered off Z is Brandon Moss, who did so in that August 3 game, the only run Z allowed that day.
Today's game is on WGN and FSN Pittsburgh, so it should be available nationally via EI. Also see the MLB.com Mediacenter.
Baseball-reference.com game preview
Once again, a reminder that you can find the overflow comment threads, including the first pitch thread, on the right sidebar of both the front page and any interior page in the box headed "RECENT STORIES IN GAME THREADS". Today's first pitch thread posts at 6 pm CT, and the overflow comment threads will post at 7 pm, 8 pm and 8:45 pm CT.
Discuss amongst yourselves.