Anything's possible. A repeat of his last start (or the first four innings of his previous outing) by Kelvim Escobar will make it a long night for the free-swinging Cubbies. Kerry Wood has hit double-figures in strikeouts in his last three starts, so this is also a big test for the Jays hitters, who have never faced the nasty righty before. Wood rarely gets hit hard, but can be worked for a walk; if everyone goes deep into counts early, it could pay off in the later innings.
Tonight's opener might be the "deciding" game of the series. Mark Prior is a big favourite to beat Doug Davis (supported by AAA callups Thurman and/or Smith) tomorrow, and I like Cory Lidle's chances against Shawn Estes on Sunday, but this one could be a low-scoring nailbiter. Shannon Stewart still hasn't been activated -- I'm guessing he starts Sunday against the lefty -- so Reed Johnson, who enjoyed most of the night off Thursday after 12 consecutive starts, is back in at the top of the order. Howie Clark is also in the lineup again, this time at third base, batting ninth, where you don't often see a .550 average.
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