It's that time again. (What time, you ask?)
Time to post the WGN-TV radar GIF so you can keep track of possible rain delays today.
This weather forecast (at least at the time I called it up) calls for the rain to be "mainly after 4 p.m." That would be good, in terms of getting this game in.
Here are today's particulars.
Cubs lineup:
Fowler CF, Heyward RF, Bryant 3B, Rizzo 1B, Zobrist 2B, Soler LF, Russell SS, Ross C, Hammel P
Diamondbacks lineup:
Segura 2B, Drury RF, Goldschmidt 1B, Lamb 3B, Castillo C, Owings CF, Tomas LF, Ahmed SS, Escobar P
Jason Hammel
vs
Edwin Escobar
Jason Hammel left his last start with leg cramps. He says he's good to go:
Jason Hammel remains puzzled about the cramp in his right hamstring that caused the Cubs starter to leave the game after two innings in his last appearance. "I've never had that," Hammel said Friday. "Once it gets humid I sweat very badly so I tried to over-hydrate, I guess. I wish it would have actually released because I stretched it and it felt good. But as soon as I threw another pitch it came back. It was probably a good move not to continue to make sure I can make the next one."
His first start this year was against the Diamondbacks, April 8 in Phoenix. He threw six innings and allowed four hits and a run (though the Cubs later lost the game). Hammel has been quite consistent this year and as long as he doesn't have a recurrence of the cramp, he should be able to continue that.
Edwin Escobar has had quite the baseball odyssey:
July 2, 2008: Signed by the Texas Rangers as an amateur free agent. April 1, 2010: Traded by the Texas Rangers to the San Francisco Giants for retention of Rule 5 selection. July 26, 2014: Traded by the San Francisco Giants with Heath Hembree to the Boston Red Sox for Jake Peavy and cash. April 29, 2016: Selected off waivers by the Arizona Diamondbacks from the Boston Red Sox.
He's made one start for the D-backs, May 30 against the Astros, and it was not good: 3⅓ innings, 10 hits, seven earned runs. He has just two other major-league appearances, both in relief for the 2014 Red Sox. Oddly, in one of them he faced Ben Zobrist, who doubled off him.
Today's game is on WGN. Outside the Chicago and Phoenix markets it will be shown nationally on MLB Network.
Here is the complete MLB.com Mediacenter for today.
Baseball-reference.com game preview
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The 2016 Game Thread procedure will be the same as the one used at the end of 2015. Here's how it works.
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.