Thursday's Game:
Standings:
| W | L | GB | Last 10 |
Streak |
|
| Cardinals | 12 | 7 | - | 6-4 | W1 |
| Reds | 9 | 10 | 3.0 | 6-4 | L1 |
| Brewers | 9 | 10 | 3.0 | 5-5 | L1 |
| Pirates | 8 | 10 | 3.5 | 6-4 | W1 |
| Astros | 7 | 12 | 5.0 | 3-7 | W1 |
| Cubs | 6 | 13 | 6.0 | 3-7 | L1 |
News and Notes:
Astros:
- The odds are in their favor, right? It's not like they can lose every time they take the field.
- Despite the organization's denial, the Brett Meyers trade rumors likely won't go away any time soon.
Cardinals:
- ...trying hardest to avoid annoying clever Lance Lynn wordplay...
- Cardinals Q & A from mlb.com featuring Chris Carpenter, Allen Craig, and the Cards' bullpen
Cubs:
- Is Anthony Rizzo the guy who will make the Cubs relevant again?
- Can Bryan LaHair keep up his hot start? Is he blocking the aforementioned Rizzo? Find out here.
- Starter Jeff Samardzija has looked good early on and the Cubs are keeping a close eye on him as the season progresses.
Pirates:
- Pedro Alvarez: conundrum player. For better or worse people have a lot to say about him.
Reds:
- Another team blaming the umpires for a tough loss.
- Injured reliever Nick Masset didn't get the best of news regarding his recent MRI results.
On Tap:
The Brewers are in St. Louis to begin a three game weekend series against the Cardinals. In Friday's opener, which is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. CDT, Yovani Gallardo (1-1) looks to shut down Jake Westbrook (2-1) and the rest of the Cardinals line-up in the Crew's first visit to Busch Stadium of the year.
The Astros and Reds meet for the first time in 2012 in tonight's 6:10 p.m. CDT game in Cincinnati. Wandy Rodriguez (1-2) will start for Houston and Mike Leake (0-2) will start for the Reds looking for his first victory of the year.
The Chicago Cubs are in Philadelphia and will begin a series against the Phillies with a game tonight scheduled to get under way at 6:05 p.m. CDT tonight. Cubs starter Paul Maholm (1-2) looks to even up his record on the year. He will need to be on top of his game as he is opposed by Roy Halladay (3-1) who will take the mound for the Phils.
The Pirates and Braves begin a a four game series in Atlanta's Turner Field tonight with a game set for 6:35 p.m. CDT. A.J. Burnett (1-0) looks to improve his early season record for the Bucs. Young righty Tommy Hanson (2-2) looks to get above .500 with a win against the PIrates tonight.