Cubs vs. Phillies Mock Game Thread: Pre-Game And First Pitch

Tonight the Chicago Cubs host the Philadelphia Phillies from historic Wrigley Field. Right-hander Jeff Samardzija will get the ball tonight from Dale Sveum, and Samardzija will be countered by Philly right hander Kyle Kendrick. The wind doesn't seem like it should be too much of a factor tonight, with perhaps a gentle breeze out to center field. After this, we will have the lineups for tonight's game.

It's a beautiful day for a ball game, for a ball game today.
The fans are out to get a ticket or two, from Walla Walla Washington to Kalamazoo.
It's a beautiful day for a home run. But even a triple's okay.
We're gonna cheer, and boo, and raise a hullabaloo at the ball game today.

Welcome back, baseball fans, and here are tonight's lineups. First, for the visitors from Philadelphia.

Jimmy Rollins will lead off and play short. Chase Utley will bat second and play second base. Domonic Brown will get the start tonight in right field. Laynce Nix will start in left. Ben Revere will bat fifth, and play in centerfield. Darin Ruf will bat sixth and play first base for a not-yet-ready-to-start Ryan Howard. Michael Young will play third base, hitting seventh. Erik Kratz will catch and hit eighth. On the mound for the Phillies will be Kyle Kendrick.

Rollins at short, Utley at second, Brown in right. Nix in left, Revere in center, Ruf at first. Young at third, Kratz catching, and Kyle Kendrick on the mound.

For the Cubs, David DeJesus will lead off and play in right field. Starlin Castro will bat second, and play short. Alfonso Soriano will hit third, and play in left. Anthony Rizzo will hit clean-up, and play at first. Brett Jackson will get the start tonight in center. Ian Stewart will play third base. Darwin Barney will bat seventh and play second base. Hitting eighth will be the catcher, just back from the DL, Dioner Navarro. Batting ninth will be Jeff Samardzija.

Once again, DeJesus in right, Castro at short, Soriano in left. Rizzo at first, Jackson in center, and Stewart at third. Barney at second, Navarro catching, and on the hill, Jeff Samardzija.

We'll be back with the first pitch after this message.