Game 78: Twins @ Cubs

Time: 4:05 Central. Vegas Line: -110 CHC / MIN -100

Weather: Start Temp 95°, Gusts Blowing Out, Dong City

Opponent's Prolific SB Site: Bleed Cubbie Blue

TV: FSN. Radio: Smokin' What It's Takin' To Keep Carin'

What's the difference between today's Cubs starter Mike Montgomery (nicknamed, unimaginatively, "Monty") and his teammate Brian Duensing? Or Anthony Swarzak? Or Matt Guerrier?

(Mad props to anyone remembering Matt Guerrier, who had a fine career, but it was awhile ago.)

The difference being Montgomery is a "swingman" who's actually super good at it. His career ERA is lower as a reliever than as a starter, 2.80 to 3.86, which is why the Cubs prefer to use him out of the bullpen. But 3.86 is Pretty Darn Good. For the record, those splits on Duensing are 3.68/4.57, and 3.58/5.87 for Swarzak. For Guerrier, it was 3.46/6.75.

(Insane "lock you up, you're crazy" props to anyone who remembers that Guerrier's first career start was in Toronto, and our local press made a big deal out of it because "Guerrier" loosely translates to "warrior" in French, and they speak some French in Canada, although not so much in Toronto. It was a bit of a stretch on the local press's part. Sometimes you gotta fill that word count.)

"Monty" throws a multitude of moving fastballs, doing most of his damage with the curve & change. Digits:

Monty's mound opponent (that phrase sounds off for some reason) is Jose Berrios. He is the Twins' bestest pitcher. If you didn't already know this, ARE YOU EVEN A TWINS FAN and read this excellent article to explain.