Chicago Cubs (22-14, first in the NL Central)Chicago; Saturday, 2

Milwaukee Brewers (24-16 Christian Yelich Jersey , second in the NL Central) vs. p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Brewers: Zach Davies (4-0, 1.56 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 26 strikeouts) Cubs: Cole Hamels (4-0, 3.38 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 44 strikeouts)Article continues below ...BOTTOM LINE: Milwaukee enters the matchup as winners of their last seven games.The Cubs are 6-4 against the rest of their division. The Chicago offense has compiled a .256 batting average as a team this season, good for seventh in the National League. Javier Baez leads the team with a mark of .318.The Brewers have gone 11-6 against division opponents. Milwaukee’s team on-base percentage of .319 is fourth in the National League. Christian Yelich leads the team with an OBP of .429. The Brewers won the last meeting 7-0. Gio Gonzalez earned his first victory and Ryan Braun went 1-for-4 with a home run and an RBI for Milwaukee. Jose Quintana took his second loss for Chicago.TOP PERFORMERS: Baez leads the Cubs with 24 extra base hits and is batting .318. Kris Bryant is 9-for-31 with two doubles, a triple, four home runs and 11 RBIs over the last 10 games for Chicago.Yelich leads the Brewers with 16 home runs and has 37 RBIs. Mike Moustakas is 11-for-43 with five doubles, two home runs and 10 RBIs over the last 10 games for Milwaukee.LAST 10 GAMES: Cubs: 8-2 http://www.brewersfanproshop.com/authentic-orlando-arcia-jersey , .255 batting average, 2.64 ERA, outscored opponents by 24 runsBrewers: 8-2, .244 batting average, 3.09 ERA, outscored opponents by 12 runsCubs Injuries: Pedro Strop: 10-day IL (hamstring), Brandon Morrow: 60-day IL (elbow), Kendall Graveman: 60-day IL (elbow), Xavier Cedeno: 10-day IL (wrist), Tony Barnette: 60-day IL (shoulder), Daniel Descalso: day-to-day (ankle), Victor Caratini: 10-day IL (hand).Brewers Injuries: Bobby Wahl: 60-day IL (knee), Brent Suter: 60-day IL (elbow) http://www.brewersfanproshop.com/authentic-orlando-arcia-jersey , Jimmy Nelson: 10-day IL (shoulder), Corey Knebel: 60-day IL (elbow), Chase Anderson: 10-day IL (finger). The countdown to real baseball is nearing single digits."Good morning, Birdland!There are only 10 days of spring training left. The Orioles wrap up their time in Sarasota on March 25 against the New York Mets and then head north to begin the games that count against the New York Yankees in the Bronx on March 28. It’s the most wonderful time of the year!The weather in the Baltimore area has finally started to feel like spring. If you went out at about 12:30 p.m. on Friday, the signs were everywhere. The sun was shining, car windows were down, and office workers were shuffling down the sidewalks like vitamin D-deprived zombies. It was glorious.Now all we need is some Orioles baseball. We will get our wish today. The O’s take on the Blue Jays in Dunedin at 1:07. The team’s website indicates that you can tune into the Orioles Radio Network at that time to hear Jim Hunter and whoever is doing color commentary in place of Ben McDonald narrate the action.LinksO’s beef up analytics team as culture shifts - MLB.comI read “Astroball” this offseason, so I already know exactly how this rebuild is going to go. That’s all it takes. Say hello to your 2023 World Series champions.Cobb gets tuneup; Givens pitches sim game; Hess rocked - Baltimore BaseballDavid Hess has been considered a candidate for one of the spots in the starting rotation throughout the spring. His performance on Friday (2.2 innings, nine hits, nine runs, four home runs) will not help his case.Martin navigating through first spring slump - School of RochThe Rule 5 picks, Richie Martin and Drew Jackson, are two players that I’m most excited to receive regular playing time once the season begins. Mostly on account of their athleticism and expected fielding prowess. Those are attributes that the Orioles have lacked for a several years now. It may not leading to many wins just yet http://www.brewersfanproshop.com/authentic-orlando-arcia-jersey , but it should be more exciting than the plodding type of baseball for which the club has become known.Spring Training Overreactions: Baltimore Orioles - CBS SportsA video in which Buck Showalter is described as a “lunatic” and “intense” and Brandon Hyde is seen as “cerebral” and “calm.” Not sure I agree with that first take on Showalter, but Hyde has appeared very relaxed this spring. For a team that’s going to lose a lot, that should work well. We won’t know until the season gets going.Orioles birthdays and historyIs it your birthday? Happy birthday!Two former Orioles that, I’m sorry to say, I’ve never heard of are celebrating their birthdays as well. First is 89-year-old Hobie Landrith, a catcher in Baltimore for 62 games between the 1962 and ‘63 seasons. Along with him is another catcher, the late Clint Courtney (b. 1927, d. 1975), who was one of the original O’s after the St. Louis Browns franchise relocated following the 1953 season.1953 - Bill Veeck’s proposal to move the Browns from St. Louis to Baltimore is rejected by his fellow owners by a 6-2 vote. Veeck then announces his intention to sell the Browns for $2.5 million. The team would move to Baltimore ahead of the following season.1954 - The O’s purchase Eddie Waitkus, a first baseman, from the Philadelphia Phillies. Waitkus would go on to play in 133 games for the Orioles, hitting .278/.342/.364 with two home runs during that time.