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These days, the weather forecast is almost a necessity for Cubs home games. Fortunately, that forecast calls for storms to hold off until after 10 p.m. tonight, which means this game should be played without interruption. (Tomorrow's forecast is another story, though.)
Interesting note on last night's 1-0 win: It was just the 34th time in Cubs history (since 1914, as far as baseball-reference's database goes back) that they had played a home game that went into extra innings scoreless, and then won or lost by shutout. That averages about one every three years; the last one before Tuesday night was April 18, 2011.
The Cubs are 18-16 in those 34 games, 33 of which have been at Wrigley Field, one (in 1915) at West Side Grounds. Because of the way bb-ref's Play Index works, I had to search the wins and losses in those games separately.
Here are the wins in those games and here are the losses. Much nicer to win, of course. (Note: there might have been other such games where the Cubs allowed a run in extra-inning wins, or scored one in an extra-inning loss, but there's no systematic way of searching bb-ref for those. Can't imagine there are too many.)
Here are today's particulars.
Cubs lineup:
Denorfia RF, Rizzo 1B, Bryant 3B, Montero C, Castro SS, Coghlan LF, Szczur CF, Hendricks P, Russell 2B
Denorfia leading off, @kylehendricks28 on the bump. #LetsGo Game preview: http://t.co/1ORJ6MBgAu pic.twitter.com/n1vdrIQdyv
— #VoteCubs (@Cubs) June 24, 2015
Dexter Fowler still day-to-day. The Cubs try last night's hero in the leadoff spot.
Dodgers lineup:
Hernandez 2B, Pederson CF, Turner 3B, Gonzalez 1B, Puig RF, Ethier LF, Grandal C, Rollins SS, Bolsinger P
Today's Starting Pitchers |
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Kyle Hendricks had one of his best games of 2014 against the Dodgers, August 1 at Dodger Stadium, where he allowed just four singles and two runs, one unearned. Hendricks has had some good starts and some bad ones this year. Last time out he was bad, but one thing he is doing right: not walking people. He's walked just 14 in 73⅔ innings. If he can get his ground-ball pitch working, tonight could be a success.
Mike Bolsinger didn't have a very good rookie year for the Diamondbacks last year (1-6, 5.50 ERA, 1.586 WHIP). Perhaps his best 2014 outing came at Wrigley Field April 24, where he allowed just four hits and an unearned run. But take a look at that boxscore: just two of the starting eight Cubs that day are on the team today (Anthony Rizzo and Starlin Castro). He came to the Dodgers last November in a type of transactin that's become pretty rare in modern baseball: a straight cash purchase. Bolsinger has been better this year, but he has a 5.32 ERA and 1.591 WHIP in June and got hit pretty hard by the Giants last Friday.
This is a winnable game based on this pitching matchup.
Today's game is on CSN Chicago. In most of the USA (likely, outside the Cubs and Dodgers home territories) this game will also be shown on ESPN2. Check your cable/satellite listings.
Here is the complete MLB.com Mediacenter for today.
Baseball-reference.com game preview
Please visit our SB Nation Dodgers site True Blue LA. If you do go there to interact with Dodgers fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.
The 2015 Game Thread procedure has changed a bit. Here's how it will work going forward.
You'll find the game preview posted separately on the front page, two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).
At the same time, a StoryStream™ containing the preview will also post on the front page. The First Pitch Thread and all the overflow threads will be published in that stream, as well as the recap. The recap will also live on the front page as a separate post, and at the time I write the recap I will rename the stream "Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of Week) Game Threads" so you can go back and find every thread related to that particular game.
You will also be able to find the preview, First Pitch Thread, all the overflow threads and recap 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 the game's StoryStream™ as noted above.
The First Pitch thread will post at five minutes before game time, then an overflow thread at one hour, two hours and 2:45 after the scheduled game time.
Discuss amongst yourselves.