Cubs vs. Athletics at Mesa preview, Wednesday 3/13, 3:05 CT

For the first time since the Cubs left HoHoKam Park after the 2013 season, I won’t see them play there. I went to four Cubs/Athletics games at what they now call HoHoKam Stadium from 2015-18, but this one... been there, done that. Going to skip the extra trip to Mesa this year.

If there are a lot of home runs hit this afternoon, blame the weather, not the pitchers. Winds could gust up to 35 miles per hour today.

This is the A’s last spring training game before they leave to open the season in Japan. They play a pair of exhibition games against the Nippon Ham Fighters March 17 and 18, then open the regular season against the Mariners in Tokyo March 20 and 21.

Notes for today:

• The Cubs’ 124 runs scored are second-most in the Cactus League behind only the Angels (146 runs).
• Mark Zagunis’ 10 RBI are tied for sixth-most in the Cactus League. Johnny Field’s .359 on-base percentage ranks ninth.
• Cristhian Adames’ 13 hits are tied for the Cactus League lead while his eight runs scored are tied for seventh and his 23 total bases are tied for eighth.
• Kyle Schwarber is tied for third in the Cactus League with nine walks.
• Carl Edwards Jr. has thrown four scoreless innings in four appearances, walking none and striking out five.
• Steve Cishek has turned in three scoreless outings, totaling three innings.
• Dillon Maples has walked two and struck out nine in 4⅓ innings.

Here are today’s particulars.

Cubs lineup:

Happ CF, Bote 3B, Rizzo 1B, Contreras C, Adames 2B, Russell SS, Zagunis RF, Court DH, Field LF

Athletics lineup:

Semien SS, Chapman 3B, Olson 1B, Davis DH, Profar 2B, Laureano CF, Canha RF, Grossman LF, Hundley C

Jon Lester gets the start for the Cubs. Also on the Cubs pitching list today: Steve Cishek, Brad Brach, George Kontos, Mike Zagurski and Matt Carasiti.

Mike Fiers will start for the A’s. Other A’s pitchers scheduled: Blake Treinen, Fernando Rodney, Joakim Soria and Yusmeiro Petit.

Today’s game is an audio webcast on cubs.com. No TV today.

MLB.com Gameday

Please note that during spring training, Gameday doesn’t usually go pitch-by-pitch as it does during the regular season — usually, it will update after each at-bat.

Here is the complete MLB.com Mediacenter for today.

Please visit our SB Nation Athletics site Athletics Nation. If you do go there to interact with A’s 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.

For spring-training games, we’ll have a first-pitch thread at five minutes to game time and one overflow thread, 90 minutes after game time (because I know how you all like overflow threads!). For today, that will be 3 p.m. CT and 4:30 p.m. CT.

These threads will not post individually onto the front page; instead, you can find links to them in the box marked ”Chicago Cubs Game Threads” at the bottom of the front page. There will also be a StoryStream on the front page with all the game thread links, as well as the recap after the game is over. The pitcher boxes and regular-season stats will return on Opening Day.

Discuss amongst yourselves.