:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/12744431/20130505_kkt_bb6_226.0.jpg)
ICYMI yesterday, this tweet notes something interesting about tonight's game:
#Cubs play #Reds, #Rangers (make up game), #Cardinals S-M-T, hosting 3 teams in 3 days at Wrigley Field for 1st time since Aug. 21-23, 1960
— Carrie Muskat (@CarrieMuskat) May 5, 2013
This rarity is caused, of course, by having to squeeze tonight's makeup game with the Rangers in the middle of a homestand, just as the Cubs did 53 years ago, playing a makeup game against the Reds in between series against the Giants and Pirates. That Cubs team was pretty bad, going 60-94, and they would have been worse if they hadn't gone on a bit of a run in the season's last week, winning five of their last seven.
The Cubs split a pair of games against the Rangers two weeks ago, both played in bad weather conditions, sandwiched around the April 17 rainout. The weather will be better tonight, if a bit chilly, and since these two teams won't play again this year, the Cubs could win the season series against this interleague opponent with a victory.
Dream on, right?
It'll be interesting to see how many people show up for this makeup game. The White Sox and Royals played a makeup game earlier today of their Friday rainout. It was a pleasant day in Kansas City, and it looked like there were maybe 7,000 people at the K, despite the Royals being hot right now. (Granted, a Monday afternoon makeup of a Friday night game is going to be hard for a lot of people to attend. But still.)
Finally, 15 years ago today, there was a pretty impressive pitching performance at Wrigley Field. Hard to believe it's been 15 years already.
Cubs lineup:
DeJesus CF, Castro SS, Rizzo 1B, Soriano LF, Schierholtz RF, Castillo C, Valbuena 3B, Barney 2B, Feldman P
Rangers lineup:
Kinsler 2B, Andrus SS, Beltre 3B, Cruz RF, Moreland 1B, Soto C, Murphy LF, Martin CF, Tepesch P
Today's Starting Pitchers |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Scott Feldman is facing his former team for the first time. That ought to give him a mental boost, at least, to show them what they're missing, especially after Feldman's outstanding start against the Padres last week. Feldman has experience against three Texas hitters: A.J. Pierzynski, Adrian Beltre and Lance Berkman, who are a combined 8-for-43 (.186) against him. Perhaps there's hope for tonight after all.
Nick Tepesch is a rookie making his sixth major-league start; this means he's never faced any of the Cubs in a regular-season game. You know what that usually means. Combine that with the fact that Tepesch has walked just five batters in 28 innings and that the Cubs are a notoriously non-patient-hitting team... well, I think you know what's coming.
Today's game is on WCIU; this represents a change from the original game date. The April 17 game was going to be on WGN. WCIU games can also usually be seen in the following cities and channels: Springfield/Decatur/Champaign, WCIX 49.2; Peoria WAOE 59.1; Des Moines WHO 13.2; Quad Cities (Davenport/Moline) WQAD 8.2 or 8.3; Ft. Wayne WANE 15.2 and South Bend, WMYS, 69. However, I would recommend checking the listings for tonight on those channels, since this is a makeup game.
Here is the complete MLB.com Mediacenter for today.
Baseball-reference.com game preview
Please visit our SB Nation Rangers site Lone Star Ball.
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.