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ICYMI in the game recap, it took until early May 2014 (game 28) for the Cubs to win a series last year.
The 2014 Cubs weren't even in position to win a series until game 20, when they had taken the first two games of a set against the Diamondbacks. They wound up losing the last two of that series and had a split.
Today we stand at game 5 of 2015, with the Cubs having a chance to win a series. This is progress!
Here are today's particulars.
Cubs lineup:
Fowler CF, Rizzo 1B, Soler RF, Coghlan LF, Castro SS, Montero C, Alcantara 2B, Hendricks P, Herrera 3B
Mike Olt swung a bat this morning, seems OK, but they are holding him out. Good chance to get a start for Jonathan Herrera. Also, interestingly, Joe Maddon is hitting Anthony Rizzo second, something he did a few times in spring training.
Rockies lineup:
Blackmon CF, Gonzalez RF, Arenado 3B, Morneau 1B, Dickerson LF, McKenry C, Descalso SS, Lyles P, LeMahieu 2B
Today's Starting Pitchers |
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Kyle Hendricks' best start of 2014 was at Coors Field. Here's the boxscore -- it was the only game last year in which he went eight innings. He allowed five hits and two runs, just one earned. He threw 107 pitches (71 strikes). More of this, please.
Jordan Lyles pitched against the Cubs at Coors Field August 6, 2014. The Rockies won the game, but the Cubs hit Lyles pretty well. Chris Coghlan doubled and tripled and Arismendy Alcantara homered. A few more like that could result in a Cubs win today.
It's the first start of 2015 for Hendricks, but Lyles threw six innings against the Brewers April 7 in Milwaukee, allowing two runs in six innings.
Today's game is on WGN. For coverage info in other Midwest markets click here (link opens .pdf).
Here is the complete MLB.com Mediacenter for today.
Baseball-reference.com game preview
Please visit our SB Nation Rockies site Purple Row.
Once again for 2015, we are going to have the same game-thread routine as the last couple of years. 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 most 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.