Because we don't play the Giants enough (Game 4 Preview)

Updated 1202CT : Giants' pitching slate

Updated 105 CT: Giants' PITCHf/x charts

Updated 141 CT - initial line-up -- 158 PM updated official line-up
Fonzie's out with a boo-boo, so this is wrong already (via Neil at CCO)

Soriano-LF Patterson-2B
Theriot-SS
Fukudome-RF
Lee-1B
Soto-C
Patterson-2B
Murton-LF (corrected - PA announcer did say 7th, or so it sounded)
Figueroa-3B
Pie-CF

Very happy to see Patterson at 2nd.

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The Cubs play a home game today, against Spring rival San Francisco. The game will be on cable here in Chicago, or you can watch it anywhere on MLB.tv. WGN radio is covering the game, so you can go the Pat and Ron route, too.

After an impressive first game, the Cubs have looked sloppy the last two days. If not "looked", then "sounded" or "read", as game 2 was totally dark.

Playing a lot of the kids has been part of the equation - we saw a lot of first pitch swinging yesterday - along with some bad luck (and spotty) pitching.

Kerry Wood put up an awful line, but he looked terrific. We'll see how he feels today - and I suspect we'll hear plenty about him in today's broadcast.

Today will be a different, as the Cubs will play more regulars and will look to get past yesterday's Marquis incident. Expect to see OBP star Fukudome, Derrek Lee, Soriano and Theriot at the top of the order. Aramis may still be held back.

Ted Lilly gets the ball to start, and the Giants send Matt Cain. I'll forgo my own preview of Cain, as Bay City Ball has done a very nice job covering him already.

I took a look at Ted Lilly in September, but I'm going to update that with another pass at the data and some more detail.

I'll update this post later on with the batting order and PITCHf/x previews.

Update #1 : Giants pitchers for today, via MLB Press Pass
Cain, Brad Hennessey, Scott Williamson (ex-Cub), Jack Taschner, Jose Capellan, + minor leaguers Adam Cowart, Alex Hinshaw, Julio Mateo

Update #2 : Taschner and Hennessey "sample" charts - movement by pitch, grouped by speed


[wrong Jose Capellan]