Catcher Rookie Geovany Soto impressed last year and is hitting .306 with 2 homers in the young season. his backup is the slap-hitting Henry Blanco.
1st Base Derrick Lee is out of the gate with a big .358/.411/.691 start, the Cubs are really smacking the ball around. Lee is looking to stay healthy and put up the big numbers he did last year.
2nd base The light-hitting Mike Fontenot starts at 2B, a place holder until the contending Cubs find someone better. a trade with the Orioles for Roberts would be ideal.
Shortstop The speedy Theriot is the starter, but he missed yesterday with a bad back and was replaced by the stick-less Ronny Cedeno (not to be confused with the equally bad hitter Roger Cedeno.)
3rd Base Aramis Ramirez is at it again hitting .282/.409/.563
Outfield With Alfonso Soriano on the DL the outfield consists of the young Felix Pie, japanese import and immediate fan-favorite Fukudome who homered opening day in the 9th inning and hasn't since, and utility guy Mark DeRosa. Far superior hitter Matt Murton is nowhere to be found.
Starters the Mets are 8-1 against lefties this year and will face 0-3 lefty Ted Lilly who won 15 games last year but holds an ERA over 9 this April.
i'll skip the other starters since we wont see them in this brief 22 game set
Bullpen Marmol has been lights out in the setup role and former phenom Kerry Wood has been getting the job done as the closer. In the late inning the lefties need to look out for former starter Sean Marshall, the only lefty in the Cubs bullpen.
Ex Mets: NONE!
this concludes the emergency and abreviated KTE.
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