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Chicago Cubs vs. New York Mets preview, Tuesday 6/13, 6:10 CT

The Cubs look to even up their series with the Mets.

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Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports

The Cubs have lost nine straight road games.

No Cubs team has had a double-digit road losing streak since May 15-June 4, 2012, when they lost 11 straight road games.

I'm pretty sure you want this to be the last time I ever make a comparison of any kind between the 2012 Cubs and the 2017 Cubs.

Just win, baby.

One other note: The Cardinals and Brewers are playing a doubleheader today. At this writing the Cardinals were winning the day game in the late innings. Best result for the Cubs for this one would probably be a split.

Here are today’s particulars.

Cubs lineup:

Rizzo 1B, Happ 2B, Bryant 3B, Heyward RF, Russell SS, Schwarber LF, Contreras C, Lester P, Almora CF

Mets lineup:

Lagares CF, Flores 3B, Cespedes LF, Bruce RF, Walker 2B, Duda 1B, d'Arnaud C, Reyes SS, Wheeler P

Jon Lester vs. Zack Wheeler

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Jon Lester had the shortest start of his career the last time he pitched in Citi Field, July 3, 2016. Do not click on that link! It's ugly! Yes, I warned you!

On the other hand, just about a year before that, July 1, 2015, Lester threw seven shutout innings at Citi Field.

Jon Lester has a 7.11 ERA in five road starts this year (25⅓ innings, 20 earned runs, six home runs). But last year he had a 3.17 ERA in 17 road starts (99⅓ innings).

So are we doomed? Or not?

Zack Wheeler missed the last two seasons after Tommy John surgery. He's come back to be the Mets' most effective starter and has been good-to-excellent in all 11 of his starts this year.

He last faced the Cubs in 2014, and you should look at the boxscore from that game, August 15, 2014, to see how far the Cubs have come since then.

The current Cub he's faced most is Jason Heyward, who's done well against him: 7-for-19, two doubles, two home runs, all from Heyward's time with the Braves.

Wheeler was the Giants' No. 1 pick (sixth overall) in 2009 and was traded to the Mets two years later for Carlos Beltran. That deal has a chance now to pay off for the Mets.

Today's game is on ABC7 Chicago.

Here is the complete MLB.com Mediacenter for today.

MLB.com Gameday

Baseball-reference.com game preview

SB Nation game preview

Please visit our SB Nation Mets site Amazin' Avenue. If you do go there to interact with Mets 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 2017 Game Thread procedure will be the same as the one used during 2016. 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.

Get tickets to Cubs games from our partner StubHub here.

Discuss amongst yourselves.