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All right, with the Blackhawks on a two-day break before they resume the Stanley Cup Finals, you can pay attention to the Cubs for a couple of days.
They still have a chance to split this series, which I would rank as a major accomplishment if they can do it; the Cardinals have the best record in baseball. It should be noted that the Cubs, 14-20 on the road, are still playing better on the road than last year's team, which won just 23 road games.
This game also points out the fact that the Cubs should have asked, instead of for 3:05 games on Fridays, for two or three Friday night games a year, coming off road trips. It's pretty ridiculous to ask them to play a night game in St. Louis, probably arrive in Chicago around midnight -- and that's if the game doesn't go into extra innings -- and have to play a 1:20 game Friday. Sure, 3:05 would be better, and the Cubs will have four of those later this year, but Friday night would be more appropriate. Since the flight from St. Louis to Chicago is so short, this is allowed under MLB rules, but the Cardinals should probably have been asked, or told, to play an afternoon game today. (The Cardinals don't care because they're home this weekend.)
Cubs lineup:
Valbuena 3B, Castro SS, Schierholtz RF, Soriano LF, Rizzo 1B, Sweeney CF, Castillo C, Barney 2B, Feldman P
Starlin Castro held hostage in the starting lineup, Day 71.
Cardinals lineup:
Carpenter 2B, Beltran RF, Holliday LF, Molina C, Adams 1B, Freese 3B, Jay CF, Kozma SS, Lynn P
Today's Starting Pitchers |
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Scott Feldman has never faced the Cardinals. The Cardinals player he's faced most is Ty Wigginton (7-for-14); the entire rest of the active roster is 3-for-7 against him with no home runs. Maybe this will work in the Cubs' favor tonight! (Yes, I'm reaching.)
Lance Lynn started against the Cubs May 7 at Wrigley Field; the Cubs scored two runs off him and won the game. No, I am not making this up. Look at the link! If they did it once, maybe they can do it again. (Yes, I'm reaching.)
Today's game is on WGN.
Here is the complete MLB.com Mediacenter for today.
Baseball-reference.com game preview
Please visit our SB Nation Cardinals site Viva el Birdos.
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.