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These two teams had so much fun playing to a 1-1 tie yesterday that they're hooking up again tonight, this time at the Giants' facility in Scottsdale.
Tonight's first pitch is scheduled for 8:30, and the game will be televised on MLB Network. If you don't have MLB Network or you just like audio without pictures, The Official Site has the radio feed.
Follow the jump for tonight's pitching matchup, lineup and more!
Tonight the Brewers will get their first look at Matt Cain (2.88 ERA, 2.91 FIP), who just might be one of the game's most undervalued pitchers. He's pitched over 200 innings in each of the last five seasons, and averaged 220 over the last four. Last season he posted a sub-3 ERA for the second time in his career, largely driven by the fact that he's very good at keeping the ball in the ballpark: He allowed just 0.37 home runs per nine innings of work.
Cain faced the Brewers twice last season and on both occasions had what qualifies as a rough outing for him:
Date | IP | H | ER | BB | K | Result |
May 29 | 6 | 11 | 5 | 1 | 6 | Brewers win, 6-0 |
July 22 | 6 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 2 | Brewers win, 4-2 |
He'll face Chris Narveson (4.45 ERA, 4.06 FIP), who as of today might be the leading candidate to open camp as the Brewers' fourth starter. He had a pretty encouraging performance in his second season as a full-time starter in 2011, and if not for a freak accident with a pair of scissors it might have been considered a career year.
Narveson didn't face the Giants last year. I'm sure that gives the Brewers a huge advantage for all of the two innings he'll likely throw tonight.
Rickie Weeks is tentatively back in the lineup tonight, although that could change by game time:
Rickie Weeks DH
Nyjer Morgan RF
Carlos Gomez CF
Alex Gonzalez SS
Mat Gamel 1B
George Kottaras C
Taylor Green 3B
Norichika Aoki LF
Cesar Izturis 2B
If you're reading this before first pitch, there's still time to make your Prognostikeggers predictions.
Enjoy the game!