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Hey, it's been a while... more than two weeks, actually... since the Cubs have played at Wrigley Field. Anything happen since then?
Ryan Braun made his major-league debut May 25, 2007 and has played 94 career games against the Cubs, in which he has hit .344/.421/.577 with 17 home runs; the Astros are the only team against which he has a higher OPS (in more than a handful of games).
The last Cubs/Brewers game before Braun's debut was April 25, 2007, and I thought you'd be amused to see the lineups for both teams in that game, won by the Cubs 9-3.
This week, the Cubs and Brewers will meet for a four-game series (and also seven more times later in the year) without Braun in the lineup. Since Braun's suspension was announced, the Brewers are 2-6; perhaps the Cubs can take advantage and continue their recent winning ways.
Cubs lineup:
DeJesus CF, Lake LF, Rizzo 1B, Schierholtz RF, Castro SS, Valbuena 3B, Barney 2B, Castillo C, Samardzija P
Brewers lineup:
Weeks 2B, Aoki RF, Segura SS, Lucroy C, Gomez CF, Gindl LF, Francisco 1B, Bianchi 3B, Lohse P
Today's Starting Pitchers |
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Jeff Samardzija has one start against the Brewers this year, April 19 in Milwaukee, in which he got torched in the first inning, then settled down and had a nice outing, even though the Cubs lost. Ryan Braun hit a three-run homer off Shark in that first inning, so that's something we don't have to worry about tonight, nor Braun's lifetime mark off him (7-for-16, a double, two home runs, three walks).
Kyle Lohse is having a decent, not great, year for the Brewers, who probably regret the signing, since they're nowhere near a playoff spot. Lohse pitched reasonably well against the Cubs June 25 in Milwaukee; Nate Schierholtz, who's hot right now, homered off him. The Brewers won that game; since then the Cubs are 17-11, the Brewers 11-18. Let's keep things going in those directions.
Today's game is on CSN Chicago.
Here is the complete MLB.com Mediacenter for today.
Baseball-reference.com game preview
Please visit our SB Nation Brewers site Brew Crew Ball. The usual caution is advised.
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.