Almost There Thread: Cubs vs. Brewers, Wednesday 9/17, 7:05 CT

If you have not yet taken a break to see the tentative 2009 schedule, released today, click here.

While we wait for tonight's matchup, here are a few pictures from last night:

Pregame ceremony honoring Z for his no-hitter; special guest was the last Cub no-hit pitcher, Milt Pappas

Bob Howry removed in the 7th inning by a determined looking Lou Piniella

Cubs win!

Click on photos to open a larger version in a new browser window. All photos by David Sameshima

Today's Starting Pitchers

J. Marquis Cubs vs. B. Sheets Brewers 10-8 W-L 13-8 4.36 ERA 2.97 84 SO 155 60 BB 45 14 HR 15 vs. Mil -- vs. Cubs

Tonight's game is a rematch of this April 29 game at Wrigley Field, won 10-7 by the Brewers even though Sheets walked seven Cubs, largely because Kevin Hart couldn't keep the game close. Marquis wasn't very good that day, but in his last six starts he has been a model of consistency; he has averaged 6.1 innings per start and gone 4-1, 3.38, allowing only one home run (to Carlos Lee, no shame in that) in those six outings. Keep up the good work, Jason.

Sheets got hit hard by the Cubs on July 29 in Milwaukee; the Cubs got 11 hits and six runs off him without a homer. Derrek Lee, who's started to hit with authority again the last three games, has six career HR (in 52 AB) off Sheets.

And of course I didn't forget! Courtesy of BCB reader akbeck98, here is today's Gratuitous Soto Photo, taken at last year's Cub convention:

Today's game is on WCIU, which means ordinarily no one outside a three-block radius of downtown Chicago could see it. Fortunately for the rest of you, ESPN has picked up the game, so it's available everywhere. Also see the MLB.com Mediacenter.

MLB.com Gameday

Baseball-reference.com game preview

As always, 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 7 pm CT, and the overflow comment threads will post at 8 pm, 9 pm and 9:45 pm CT.

Discuss amongst yourselves.