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GDT: Blue Jays @ Cubs Game 1 of 3 2:20 EST

Spanky99

By Spanky99
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Spanky99 GOAT

Spanky99

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Blue Jays Lineup...

 

1. Jose Bautista ® RF

2. Josh Donaldson ® 3B

3. Justin Smoak (S) 1B

4. Steve Pearce ® LF

5. Miguel Montero (L) C

6. Kevin Pillar ® CF

7. Ryan Goins (L) SS

8. Darwin Barney ® 2B

9. J.A. Happ (L) P

 

J.A. Happ, LHP

 

Happ is on a roll lately, having allowed just one run in each of his last three outings. The veteran lefty has surrendered more than three earned runs just twice since the start of June and hasn't lost since late July.

 

Cubs Lineup...

 

1. Albert Almora Jr. ® CF

2. Kris Bryant ® 3B

3. Anthony Rizzo (L) 1B

4. Ben Zobrist (S) LF

5. Ian Happ (S) 2B

6. Victor Caratini (S) C

7. Jason Heyward (L) RF

8. Javier Baez ® SS

9. Jake Arrieta ® P

 

Jake Arrieta, RHP

 

Arrieta will open an Interleague series against the Blue Jays at Wrigley. He's now 4-1 with a 2.09 ERA since the break after picking up a win over the D-backs in his last start. The key? Fastball command.

 

PREVIEW...

 

By Carrie Muskat / MLB.com

 

The Cubs will welcome the Blue Jays to Wrigley Field for the second time in franchise history and first since 2005 when the two teams square off in an Interleague series, starting Friday.

 

The two teams have met four times (2003, '05, '08 and '14), with Toronto holding an 8-4 edge all time.

 

It will be a chance for former Cubs Darwin Barney and Miguel Montero to return to Chicago, but also another opportunity for the Cubs to open some breathing room in the tight National League Central. This series is part of a 13-game stretch when the Cubs face last place teams. So far, they're 2-2 against the Reds.

 

Jake Arrieta (12-8, 3.73 ERA) will face J.A. Happ (6-8, 3.63 ERA) on Friday, looking for his seventh straight quality start. The right-hander is 3-2 with a 5.45 ERA in seven career starts against Toronto, with all but one of those coming when he was pitching for the Orioles.

The Cubs are 8-7 in Interleague Play so far, and manager Joe Maddon is looking for improvement.

 

"We haven't been as consistent in our approach on a daily basis," said Maddon, who would like to see them eliminate the defensive lapses.

 

"I'm more concerned about plays not made and at-bats [in key situations]," he said. "If we get to doing those kind of things, it will be a lot like the last two years."

 

This is the Cubs' penultimate Interleague series. They still have two games against the Rays from Sept. 19-20 in St. Petersburg.

 

The Blue Jays enter this series on a bit of a high. They have won three consecutive series for the first time since May 23-31, and they are back within three games of .500 for the first time since June 28. The latest victory came after Justin Smoak hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the eighth inning as Toronto defeated Tampa Bay, 5-3, on Thursday.

 

"I've gotten on that plane many times after a loss, still good food, but there's no doubt you want to leave feeling good," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. "The lows in this business last longer than the highs, I know that for a fact. But we have to turn around, day game [Friday] ... quick turnaround, but there will be energy there with the World [series] champs. It's a great place to play."

 

 

• Happ is 1-4 in six career starts against the Cubs, last facing them on Sept. 15, 2015, in Pittsburgh. The lefty is on a roll, and heads into the series 3-0 with a 1.45 ERA in three starts in August.

 

• Cubs rookie Victor Caratini will catch Arrieta on Friday. Last Saturday in Phoenix, Caratini and Arrieta were paired together, and the right-hander gave up three hits over six innings, striking out six.

 

• While Happ has struck out 23 in 18 2/3 innings this month, he also has induced soft contact -- below a 95-mph exit velocity -- on 84.8 percent of the balls put in play against him. That's the highest rate among the nearly 150 starters who have generated at least 25 batted balls since Aug. 1.

 

• Happ is one of the few Toronto pitchers who has some hitting experience in his background. The former Phillie, Astro and Pirate hit a solo homer in 2011, and he has 18 hits in his career. Happ took batting practice prior to Thursday afternoon's game against the Rays, and at one point, he homered to right field on back-to-back pitches.

 

LETS GO BLUE JAYS *CLAP, CLAP* *CLAP, CLAP, CLAP*

 

LETS GO BLUE JAYS *CLAP, CLAP* *CLAP, CLAP, CLAP*

 

LETS GO BLUE JAYS *CLAP, CLAP* *CLAP, CLAP, CLAP*

 

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Hey Cubbies...

 

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http://imagizer.imageshack.us/a/img911/724/K02O1z.gif

 

 

GO NATS GO!!!

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o2cui2i Vancouver Canadians

o2cui2i

Community Moderator
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need to keep the winning ways alive. series wins are good but need a couple sweeps to make sept really exciting
jaysfan2014 Dunedin Blue Jays

jaysfan2014

Old-Timey Member
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Cubs have been erratic this season..and have started to fade again after a recent run due to the Quintana trade (7-9 in August).. and this lineup is missing quite a bit of pieces (Russell, Contreras)..
fatcowxlive GOAT

fatcowxlive

Old-Timey Member
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What the hell was that. First Barney falls, then Bautista spikes the ball into the ground, then Goins and Smoak do exactly what you DONT want to do in a run down and just throw the ball back and forth without closing the runner down... what

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