Cubs vs. Reds Preview, Thursday 6/13, 1:20 CT: Enough Reds, Already

Hi!

Did you stay up late Wednesday night to watch the Blackhawks win Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals?

Yeah, me too. I wonder if some of the Cubs did. Many of them -- including today's starting pitcher, Jeff Samardzija -- are big hockey fans. If so, this could be yet another quick game. I'm almost hoping so, because the Cubs would appear to have little chance to win, after having lost 12 straight Wrigley Field games to the Reds and having gone 2-10 against them overall so far in 2013.

Cubs lineup:

DeJesus CF, Castro SS, Rizzo 1B, Soriano LF, Schierholtz RF, Valbuena 3B, Castillo C, Barney 2B, Samardzija P

Still, Dale? Still starting Starlin Castro? Unbelievable.

Reds lineup:

Choo CF, Cozart SS, Votto 1B, Phillips 2B, Bruce RF, Frazier 3B, Paul LF, Mesoraco C, Latos P

Today's Starting Pitchers

Jeff Samardzija Cubs vs. Mat Latos Reds vs. Cin -- vs. Cubs

Jeff Samardzija has faced the Reds twice this year, thrown 12 innings, and allowed just two earned runs, while striking out 13. Naturally, that has resulted in two Cubs losses. One of those games was April 24 in Cincinnati, a matchup identical to today's, against Reds starter Mat Latos. The Reds won that game 1-0 when Todd Frazier -- who won yesterday's game with a home run -- hit a solo shot off Shark.

Do I really need to go on? Clearly, we are doomed.

Today's game is on CSN Chicago.

Here is the complete MLB.com Mediacenter for today.

MLB.com Gameday

Baseball-reference.com game preview

SB Nation game preview

Please visit our SB Nation Reds site Red Reporter. Be careful over there, though.

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.