The title of this post doesn't necessarily refer to the weather, although it feels a lot like February outside. Or November. Or some month outside the baseball season. The Cubs have had two non-baseball sporting events at Wrigley Field in the last couple of years and the weather at both of them was better than it was last night, or May 14 vs. the Giants.
It's dawned again cloudy, gloomy, windy, foggy and drizzly this morning in Chicago. They say it may be 80 degrees by Sunday. I'll believe that when I see it. And maybe not even then.
At this writing today's game is still on. The Cubs would probably be doing themselves (as well as fans) a favor if they postponed it until the next common Cubs/Mets off day (August 18).
Also, this is now the 11th series this year where the Cubs have gone into the rubber game of a series with a chance to win it. In the previous 10 times they have succeeded twice. Maybe today will be different.
Cubs lineup:
rf fukudome, 2b barney, ss castro, 1b pena, 3b dewitt, lf soriano, cf campana, c hill, p zambrano
Mets lineup:
Reyes-SS, Thole-C, Beltran-RF, Bay-LF, Murphy-1B, Turner-3B, Pridie-CF, Tejada-2B, Dickey-RHP
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Big Z started twice against the Mets last year, posting a 2.77 ERA, but gaining just a win and a loss for those efforts. It was just after the first of those starts, in April in New York, that Z was banished to the bullpen. The Met he has faced the most -- and who has hit him pretty hard -- is Jason Bay (.341, 14-for-41, four doubles, a triple, five HR, nine walks, 16 RBI).
The Cubs faced R.A. Dickey last September 3 at Wrigley Field and hit him pretty hard -- eight hits and seven earned runs in six innings. They are only four days removed from facing another knuckleballer, Tim Wakefield, on Sunday in Boston. Maybe this time they'll take some pitches. The only Cub who has more than five career AB vs. Dickey is Carlos Pena (2-for-10, both home runs).
Today's game is on WGN and SNY. Here is the complete MLB.com Mediacenter for today.
Baseball-reference.com game preview
Please visit our SB Nation Mets site Amazin' Avenue.
Today's first pitch thread will be up at 1:15 p.m. CDT and the overflow threads will post at 2:15 pm, 3:15 pm and 4 pm CDT. If you need more overflows due to extra innings or rain delays, post them in the fanshot section.
Discuss amongst yourselves.