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After Wednesday's debacle, what more can be said? These are two bad teams facing each other, and I suspected before the series started that it might wind up being a split.
Still, the Cubs do have a chance to win the series. It would be their first series win since last September 9-11 at Cincinnati. It would be their first series win at home since August 30-September 1, when they took two of three from the Phillies.
Since August 1, 2013, the Cubs are 24-51. This just... isn't good.
Wish I had more, but I don't. Wait, yes I do. A win today would produce a 4-3 homestand. The Cubs haven't had a winning homestand since July 5-14, 2013, when they went 5-4 (2 of three from the Pirates, a two-game split with the Angels and a four-game split with the Cardinals, with a win over the White Sox at the Cell squeezed into an off day during that stand).
And, it looks like any rain will hold off until late afternoon.
Cubs lineup:
Bonifacio CF, Valbuena 2B, Rizzo 1B, Schierholtz RF, Castro SS, Olt 3B, Castillo C, Kalish LF, Jackson P
The Diamondbacks lineup was not available at the time I wrote this preview. Please check the BCB Twitter feed for the D'backs lineup.
Today's Starting Pitchers |
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Edwin Jackson. Well... Edwin Jackson. How much more can really be said about Edwin Jackson that hasn't already been said here? He faced the Diamondbacks once last year, June 2 at Wrigley Field. You probably don't want to look. Do I expect better today? Not really.
Mike Bolsinger was the D'backs 15th round pick in 2010. He has an undistinguished minor-league record and has a 10.29 ERA in two appearances (one start) so far this year in the major leagues. He has never faced the Cubs or anyone on the current roster. You know what usually happens in that situation.
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 Diamondbacks site AZ Snakepit.
For 2014, we are going to have the same game-thread routine as 2013. Here's how it works.
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.