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Since the All-Star break...
Cubs at home: 2-12. Scored 30 runs, allowed 48 runs. Cubs on road: 9-7. Scored 58 runs, allowed 74 runs.
The skewed runs-scored numbers for the road record are mostly due to two blowout losses (10-4 to the Diamondbacks, 12-1 to the Phillies), while five of the nine road wins were by one run.
Part of this, of course, is because the Cubs have played better teams at home (Dodgers, Reds) than on the road (Giants, Phillies). But they've also played the Cardinals in both places and shut them out in St. Louis, but got shut out at home. The Cubs simply have played worse at home in general this year, and I just don't understand why. Do you?
Cubs lineup:
DeJesus LF, Lake CF, Rizzo 1B, Schierholtz RF, Castillo C, Murphy 3B, Castro SS, Barney 2B, Jackson P
As noted earlier, I think Starlin Castro should have been benched today.
The Cardinals lineup was not available at the time I wrote this post. Please check the BCB Twitter feed for the Cardinals lineup.
Today's Starting Pitchers |
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Edwin Jackson has made three starts against the Cardinals this year. What's most interesting about that is he's pitched much worse against them in St. Louis (two starts, 10⅓ innings, eight earned runs) than at Wrigley (one start, seven innings, no runs, just three hits allowed). Maybe that's a good sign for today. I'm probably reaching, but that's all I've got.
The Cubs have hit Adam Wainwright pretty hard this year (two starts, 13 innings, 15 hits, eight earned runs). Before July 1 Wainwright had a 2.22 ERA; since then he's at 3.79; he's walked as many (12) in the eight starts since July 1 than in his 17 outings before that date. Maybe he's wearing down and the Cubs can get to him today. I'm probably reaching, but that's all I've got.
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.