Max Scherzer RHP, 0-1, 5.40

Ryan Dempster RHP, 4-1, 2.72

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Need to win this one, folks: I do not want to find us tomorrow, needing Johnson to beat Zambrano to avoid the sweep. A large part will depend on how Scherzer is: do we get Good Max or Bad Max today? In his two appearances so far, we've seen both; there's no doubting he throws hard, but he needs to be able to throw at least one other pitch for a strike, in order to have any success, even the second time through the order. This Cubs' offense is not bad, but none of them have ever faced Scherzer before, obviously.

Might see Hudson back in the lineup today: hopefully, he'll be feeling 100%, because if not, I'd rather he take the extra day-off and let Ojeda start. This game is going to be  televised nationally on Fox, though Al at  BCB says the game will only be seen in 37% of the country: clearly some new definition of "nationally" I wasn't previously aware of. I would not be surprised if the same two teams end up meeting in the NLDS once again this year. I trust the result will be the same. :-)

Not sure if I'll be about much. I have no major plans, but I am feeling pretty sick stiil: my voice is slightly better, but you do not want to know what I have been coughing up. Let's just say, Stephen King will be turning it into a novel, and John Carpenter is interested in the film rights. Any comments from me will therefore be between bouts of coughing and wheezing. Let's go, D-backs.