:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/18791525/178969721.0.jpg)
ICYMI, the Cubs have made three additions to the active roster. Go here for the complete scoop.
The Cubs will face four teams this month who are likely headed to the postseason: the Reds, Cardinals, Braves and Pirates. That will account for almost half -- 13 -- of the 27 remaining games. Seven of those 13 are against the Pirates, so the Cubs might have something to say about Pittsburgh's place in the division race. The Braves are at Wrigley Field with just nine games remaining in the season; Atlanta will likely have clinched the N.L. East title by then. And the Cubs finish the year at St. Louis, which might mean everything -- or nothing -- to the Cardinals.
Also, I received the Rick Monday flag-saving bobblehead I ordered via eBay yesterday. Extremely cool, and the flag is made of actual cloth:
Cubs lineup:
Castro ss, Barney 2b, Rizzo 1b, Schierholtz rf, Sweeney cf, Murphy 3b, Bogusevic lf, Castillo c, Arrieta p
Why is Brian Bogusevic playing ahead of Junior Lake? And, so much for Dale's pledge to put Luis Valbuena into the starting lineup.
Phillies lineup:
Bernadina CF, Rollins SS, Utley 2B, Ruf RF, Asche 3B, Frandsen 1B, Orr LF, Kratz C, Kendrick P
Today's Starting Pitchers |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Jake Arrieta last faced the Phillies June 8, 2012 in Baltimore. Trust me, this is another outing you really don't want to look at. (The usual "Don't say I didn't warn you" warning applies.) He gave up what turned out to be the last home run of Mike Fontenot's major-league career, for whatever that's worth, that day. Arrieta has been maddeningly inconsistent since he came to the Cubs -- two really good starts, two not-so-good -- which, I suppose, was the reason the Orioles were willing to deal him. Here's to more "really good" for him. The numbers above are Arrieta's total numbers this year; here are his numbers for the Cubs only:
Kyle Kendrick faced the Cubs August 6 in Philadelphia and gave up five runs in six innings. That's usually enough for a pitcher to be defeated, but... well, you know. Donnie Murphy and Anthony Rizzo homered off Kendrick that day.
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 Phillies site The Good Phight.
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.