Cubs vs. Rangers at Surprise preview, Tuesday 4/5, 2:05 CT

Another early start, this time to accommodate both teams, who are breaking camp after this game to get ready for Thursday’s Opening Day affairs.

Here are today’s particulars.

Cubs lineup:

Ortega CF, Frazier LF, Wisdom 3B, Rivas 1B, Hermosillo RF, Vargas 2B, Hicks C, Vazquez SS, Roederer DH

Rangers lineup:

Miller LF, Semien 2B, Seager SS, Garver C, Lowe 1B, Garcia DH, Calhoun RF, Ibanez 3B, White CF

Michael Rucker will start for the Cubs. This is probably a final audition for an Opening Day roster spot. Alec Mills, originally listed as today’s starter, will throw at the Sloan Park complex instead (and not have to take the 40+ mile bus ride to Surprise).

Taylor Hearn will start for the Rangers. Other Rangers pitchers scheduled: old friend Spencer Patton, Dennis Santana, Josh Sborz, Albert Abreu and John King.

Also for today:

Today’s game is on Marquee Sports Network. Here’s a list of providers currently carrying Marquee. There will also be a radio broadcast on 670 The Score.

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 Rangers site Lone Star Ball. If you do go there to interact with Rangers 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.

As we have done in the past, we’ll have a first-pitch thread at five minutes to game time and one overflow thread, 90 minutes after game time. For today, that will be 2 p.m. CT and 3:30 p.m. CT. There will be only one set of threads for both games today since they start at the same time.

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 photos and regular-season stats will return on Opening Day.

Discuss amongst yourselves.