Chicago Cubs vs. Los Angeles Dodgers Preview, Friday 8/26, 9:10 CT

A few notes on this team's remarkable second-half run:

• The Cubs are 29-10 since July 10, the best record in baseball in that span, and now enjoy their largest lead of the year at 14 games.
• The Cubs have 81 wins in 126 games, the fastest they have gotten to 81 wins since 1929. They are on pace for 104 wins, which would be the most for the franchise since 1910 (also 104).
• The Cubs are 18-4 (.818) in August. The best August in franchise history was 1932, 22-6 (.786). The Cubs have six games remaining this August.
• The Cubs' +217 run differential is the best for the team since the end of the 1935 season, when they were at +250. The team record is +323, set in 1906.

#WeAreGood

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Here are today's particulars.

Cubs lineup:

Fowler CF, Bryant 3B, Rizzo 1B, Zobrist 2B, Russell SS, Heyward RF, Soler LF, Montero C, Montgomery P

The final leg of our West Coast tour!

Game preview: https://t.co/yH92WTNDDR #LetsGo pic.twitter.com/0xQSD2ZzQX

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) August 26, 2016

Dodgers lineup:

Kendrick LF, Seager SS, Turner 3B, Gonzalez 1B, Hernandez CF, Ruiz C, Reddick RF, Utley 2B, Norris P

Mike Montgomery's first start, last Saturday in Colorado, was a success -- four innings, just one hit (a home run). He has never faced the Dodgers and the only member of the current Dodgers roster he has faced is Josh Reddick (1-for-2). Hopefully, pitching in a better pitchers' park than Coors Field will allow him to go longer this time (he threw 60 pitches last Saturday).

Bud Norris pitched his best game of the year against the Cubs while a member of the Braves, June 10 in Atlanta -- the Cubs offense was MIA that game. Norris hasn't been very good with the Dodgers and has both started and relieved for them. Since throwing six shutout innings in his first outing for LA, he has a 6.91 ERA and 1.683 WHIP in 27⅓ innings, with six home runs allowed. Time to pay Bud back for that Atlanta game.

Today's game is on ABC7 Chicago. For affiliate information in the Illinois/Indiana/Iowa Cubs TV market click here.

Here is the complete MLB.com Mediacenter for today.

MLB.com Gameday

Baseball-reference.com game preview

SB Nation 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.