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SCOTTSDALE, Arizona -- One thing is for sure. No Cubs (nor Mariners) will lose any fly balls in the sun during tonight's game.
Since their first scheduled night game this spring (March 1 vs. the Diamondbacks) was rained out, the Cubs will play after dark for the first time in 2014 tonight. They will play four more night games before the spring season is over -- that's more night games than I can ever remember in the exhibition season (that includes one night contest at Chase Field).
Tonight's game, since it's televised (details below), is also going to be another replay review test game. Managers Rick Renteria and Lloyd McClendon will have opportunities to challenge plays for review, if any come up. The last time the Cubs were in such a "test game" (March 3 vs. the Brewers), there were no such plays.
Cubs lineup:
Bonifacio 2B, Lake CF, Wells RF, Olt DH, Baez SS, Kalish LF, Valaika 1B, Villanueva 3B, Baker C
Well. Still no Mike Olt at third base, but you will see him hit tonight, as well as more Javier Baez. Otherwise, a lot of the regulars get the night off.
Mariners lineup:
Almonte CF, Seager 3B, Cano 2B, Smoak 1B, Morrison DH, Ackley LF, Saunders RF, Zunino C, Miller SS
Most of this lineup is Mariners regulars.
James McDonald, still a candidate for fifth starter, will start and go three innings for the Cubs. Other Cubs pitchers scheduled to throw (not necessarily in this order): Dallas Beeler, Alberto Cabrera, Armando Rivero, Tsuyoshi Wada, James Russell and Marcus Hatley. It will be Russell's first appearance of the spring.
Longtime Cubs nemesis Randy Wolf goes for Seattle. Also scheduled: Fernando Rodney, Tom Wilhelmsen, Lucas Luetge and Zach Miner.
Today's game is on cubs.com with Len Kasper and Mick Gillispie. It will be televised live on MLB Network via ROOT Sports Seattle, and you can also watch online if you have a MLB.TV subscription.
Here is the complete MLB.com Mediacenter for today.
For spring-training games, we'll have a first-pitch thread at game time and one overflow thread, 90 minutes after game time (because I know how you all like overflow threads!). For today's game, that will be 9 p.m. CT and 10:30 p.m. CT. These threads will not post individually onto the front page; instead, you can find links to them in the box marked "Chicago Cubs Game Threads" at the bottom of the front page. They will also appear in this StoryStream™. The pitcher box and regular-season stats will return on Opening Day.
Discuss amongst yourselves.