Spring Training Game One: Cubs (0-0) vs. A's (0-0)
Game Time - 2:05pm CST
Coverage - TV: None - Radio: 720 WGN, XM Radio Channel 186
Location - HoHoKam Park, Mesa
Randy Wells (0-0, -.--/-.--) vs. Trevor Cahill (0-0, -.--/-.--)
Chicago Cubs Baseball is on the Air! It's the Cactus League opener...the Chicago Cubs versus the Oakland Athletics. The nearly five-month wait is over. The 2010 exhibition season begins today.
The Cubs have a long Spring Training schedule ahead of them. Lou Piniella's crew will play a total of 35 games (33 before finishing with two against the Diamondbacks at Chase Field) that includes five split-squad games and a trip to Las Vegas for the annual Big League Weekend. The Cubs have only one off day, March 17 ... the spring slate concludes at Chase Field on April 3.
Randy Wells will throw the first pitch of the Cubs' 2010 Cactus League Schedule. Wells is looking to build on his success from a year ago ... and reportedly is not taking anything for granted. The Cubs need Wells to pick up where he left off last season. Wells has been hanging around Greg Maddux learning how to setup hitters ... and learning as much as he can from the Ole Professor.
Sean Marshall, J.R. Mathes, Mike Parisi and Esmailin Caridad are scheduled to follow Wells.
Lou Piniella will start his vets in the first game action of the spring ... with the exception of Alfonso Soriano. Soriano will start on Saturday against the White Sox at HoHoKam and Tyler Colvin will get the start in left this afternoon.
Piniella's lineup for the Cactus League Opener could be a preview of the one he runs out in Atlanta against Derek Lowe and the Braves on April 5 ... with two exceptions, Alfonso Soriano in left and Carlos Zambrano on the mound.
Cactus League Opening Day Lineup
- Ryan Theriot - SS
- Kosuke Fukudome - RF
- Derrek Lee - 1B
- Aramis Ramirez - 3B
- Marlon Byrd - CF
- Tyler Colvin - LF
- Mike Fontenot - 2B
- Geovany Soto - C
- Randy Wells - P
Starlin Castro is expected to see action around the third or fourth inning ... and Xavier Nady should make a pinch-hitting appearance. Once the regulars get a couple of at bats, look for Piniella to make wholesale changes.
Fan favorite Jake Fox will be back at HoHoKam today facing his old team ... along with Michael Wuertz, Eric Patterson (Rich Harden trade), Jerry Blevins (Jason Kendall trade) and Josh Donaldson (Rich Harden trade). With as many deals as Billy Beane and Jim Hendry have done over the years, could the two GMs discuss a future deal or two this afternoon?
The A's are expected to use several pitchers on Thursday ... after Trevor Cahill. On the list for the A's: Clayton Mortensen, Jerry Blevins, Justin Souza, Fernando Hernandez, John Meloan, Brad Kilby, Lenny DiNardo and Cedrick Bowers.
For new readers of the CCO, a game preview will launch two hours before each regular season game (Most spring games are previewed, but not all). The previews feature pitcher versus hitter stats, as well as other notes and tidbits. Talkin' gives the readers a place to comment during the game.
In order for your comments to post without a delay, you must sign up for an account and remember to sign-in before commenting.
Also, there will be live updates from HoHoKam posted in the Twitter section of the site on the right and left side bars of the main page.
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