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Maybe this will seem strange coming from a Cubs fan, but I feel sorry for Marlins fans, the few they have left. Cubs management is attempting to improve the team, after years of mismanagement, with some bumps on the way. Marlins management appears to be deliberately trashing the team; why would anyone want to buy tickets to see this team, especially with reports that you can get free tickets from various sources? Jeffrey Loria is the worst owner in baseball; he even makes Peter Angelos look good. He almost makes Frank McCourt... okay, let's not get carried away.
The Marlins have one good player, Giancarlo Stanton, and he's having a rough go of it. The rest of the team is composed of has-beens and never-gonna-bes; it's entirely possible that they will break the Mets' modern record of 120 losses in a season.
It's too bad there's no real way for Major League Baseball to force Loria to sell; he's destroying any chance Miami has to be a viable major-league market, and it really should be. It's the No. 16 TV market, right in between Minneapolis and Denver; its population base is comprised of many immigrants from Caribbean islands where baseball is big; it has a new stadium and good weather.
In the meantime, I hope the Cubs sweep this series.
Cubs lineup:
DeJesus CF, Castro SS, Rizzo 1B, Soriano LF, Schierholtz RF, Castillo C, Valbuena 3B, Barney 2B, Wood P
Marlins lineup:
Solano 2B, Polanco 3B, Stanton RF, Kearns LF, Ruggiano CF, Mahoney 1B, Olivo C, Valaika SS, Sanabia P
Today's Starting Pitchers |
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Travis Wood is off to a fine start this year; he's thrown at least six innings in all four of his starts, posting a 2.08 ERA, xxxx WHIP and a quality start each time. His one start against the Marlins in 2012 -- July 17 at Wrigley Field -- was pretty awful (don't look. Don't say I didn't warn you). However, most of the players in that game aren't on the Marlins now. Current members of the Marlins are just 3-for-12 against Wood, so there's little past to go on. Here's hoping Wood has at last figured things out and keeps his good start going tonight.
Alex Sanabia made a start against the Cubs September 17, 2010 in Miami, a game which I must admit I don't remember at all. (Lineup should amuse you.) So, the only current Cubs he has faced are Starlin Castro and Alfonso Soriano, and just in that one game. Sanabia has a 1.739 WHIP this year -- 26 hits and 14 walks in 23 innings. The Cubs aren't generally a patient team, but I'd think they should be able to score some runs off Sanabia.
Today's game is on CSN Chicago Plus. Check local listings, etc.
Here is the complete MLB.com Mediacenter for today.
Baseball-reference.com game preview
Please visit our SB Nation Marlins site FishStripes.
Here's the scoop on game threads for 2013. You'll find the game preview -- like this one -- posting as the first link in the StoryStream™, which will then contain all the overflow threads and the recap. The recap will also be on the front page as a separate post; once I post a game recap, the stream for each game will be retitled "Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of Week) Game Threads" so you can go back and find every thread related to that particular game.
In general, game previews will post two hours before game time. Exception: for day games after night games, that will usually be 90 minutes.
You will also be able to find the First Pitch Thread and all the overflow threads in the box marked "Chicago Cubs Game Threads" at the bottom of the front page (you can also find them in this section link). They will also appear in this StoryStream™. As I've done for each regular-season game for several years now, we'll have the First Pitch thread at five minutes before game time (moved up from actual game time per your requests), then an overflow one hour, two hours and 2:45 after game time.
Discuss amongst yourselves.