... more West Coast teams."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Chicago Cubs recapsChicago Cubs minor leaguesChicago Cubs essaysChicago Cubs game threadsWrigley Field renovationsFull archiveLibrary Bleed Cubbie Blue Community GuidelinesCurrent time in ChicagoBCB Specials & Site InfoWinter 2019 music threadsCubs StoriesScheduleRosterStatsYahoo Cubs newsYahoo Cubs team pageYahoo Cubs reportYahoo Cubs depth chartYahoo Cubs transactionsYahoo Cubs photosOdds Shop About Masthead Community Guidelines StubHub hicago Cubs game previewsChicago Cubs vs. Arizona Diamondbacks preview http://www.metsfanproshop.com/authentic-tim-tebow-jersey , Friday 4/19, 1:20 CTNew,116commentsThe Cubs return home for a six-game homestand against... more West Coast teams.CDTShareTweetShareShareChicago Cubs vs. Arizona Diamondbacks preview, Friday 4/19, 1:20 CTJasen Vinlove-USA TODAY SportsSarcastic congratulations to MLB schedulers, as we now have the second and third West Coast teams to visit Wrigley Field in April. Do they not understand how cold it usually is in Chicago this month?Fortunately, this series will be uninterrupted by rain, though it’s going to be quite chilly and windy this afternoon. It will be nicer Saturday and might be in the 70s by Sunday. That will help. Today’s forecast has a strong wind blowing in, though:Could be a good day for pitchers this afternoon.This article discusses the opposite-field approach the Cubs have taken this year, something you have likely noticed. The results have been positive:The Cubs rank second in the N.L. in runs (103) and runs per game (6.06).Here are today’s particulars.Cubs lineup:The Diamondbacks lineup was not available at posting time. Please check the BCB Twitter feed for the Diamondbacks lineup. Kyle Hendricks, RHP vs. Merrill Kelly, RHPJayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY SportsRick Scuteri-USA TODAY SportsKyle Hendricks has struggled this year. His last start was better Darryl Strawberry Jersey , at least he’s cut down on the walks (only two in his last nine innings), and it seems as if he’s made some progress. He has yet to throw more than 95 pitches in any of his starts this season.His last start against the D-backs was a gem, September 17, 2018 at Chase Field. He threw eight shutout innings, the shutout ruined in the ninth by a leadoff homer from A.J. Pollock, who isn’t a D-back anymore. He left after a two-out single by Paul Goldschmidt, who also isn’t on the D-backs anymore. Current D-backs are hitting a small sample size .200 (11-for-55) against him with no home runs and 13 strikeouts.So maybe this is the day Hendricks turns his season around. More on Kyle’s struggles in this Tribune article.Merrill Kelly — you haven’t heard of this guy even though he’s 30 years old. But you can bet Joe Maddon knows about him — he was drafted by the Rays in 2010 and pitched four years in their system from 2010-14, the last two in Triple-A. Tampa Bay let him go after the 2014 season and he pitched four years in Korea before signing a two-year, $5 million deal with the D-backs with option years for 2021 and 2022. He’s made three starts for the D-backs and two of them have been pretty good. Per Fangraphs his fastball averages about 92 and he uses it about half the time, splitting the rest between a curve, changeup and slider.He’s obviously never faced the Cubs or anyone on their active roster. But I bet Joe knows a lot about him.Today’s game is on NBC Sports Chicago. It’s also on MLB Network (outside the Cubs and D-backs market territories).Here is the complete MLB.com Mediacenter for today.MLB.com GamedayBaseball-reference.com game previewSB Nation game previewPlease visit our SB Nation Diamondbacks site AZ Snakepit. If you do go there to interact with D-backs fans, please be respectful http://www.metsfanproshop.com/authentic-tim-tebow-jersey , abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.The 2019 Game Thread procedure will be the same as the one used in previous years. 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.Discuss amongst yourselves. We take a look at how the Tigers graded out at the Winter Meetings, the "importance" of the manager, and talk of change."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Detroit Tigers AnalysisDetroit Tigers Prospect NotebookDetroit Tigers Game ThreadsDetroit Tigers NewsDetroit Tigers PodcastsDetroit Tigers LinksDetroit Tigers News: How did the Tigers do at the MLB Winter Meetings?New,67commentsWe take a look at how the Tigers graded out at the Winter Meetings Nolan Ryan Jersey , the “importance” of the manager, and talk of change.toward this new goal.All this news does is make me think of how many times I’ve heard that the team is really going to drill down on getting better at base running.In defense of the shiftIf you have been wondering if the league is going to ban the shift any time in the near future, I wouldn’t bet on it. That is, at least, if the current crop of managers has anything to say about it. It would appear that during the Winter Meetings, when asked about the possibility of banning the shift, not one manager came out in support of the idea, and some wouldn’t even entertain the thought of it. The consensus seems to be that the best way to fix the shift is to force hitters to adjust to it.Around the hornSeven under-the-radar free agents still on the board (with an appearance from our old friend Anibal Sanchez). The standard reliever contract is back. Crowning the king of baseball. Grayson Greiner couldn’t ask for anything more.