Starting Pitching: Look away Red Sox fans.
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John Lackey is the best bargain in baseball, and he gives the Cardinals a pitching backbone. The Cubs hope to break the curse this year, but they will have to do it without Henry Rowengartner and Chet Steadman, instead they must turn to Jake Arrieta and Jon Lester.
“He was probably the best on the planet going through the playoffs that year”, Lackey said.
In fact, the state’s capital boasts more than 50 percent Cardinals fans, overtaking the Cubs and Sox all together. Jonh Lester will start for the Cubs. Lackey also has the fourth best home ERA in all of baseball and pitches well under adversity and high pressure situations. The Cardinals were outscored 12-0 the final three games at Atlanta after wrapping up their third straight NL Central title. Just four, that’s it.
When Arrieta is on the mound, the Cubs have the advantage.
Starting Lineup: The Cubs have the flash and the power. He’s right. You don’t win 100 games if your act doesn’t travel.
The National League games are all on TBS this postseason. That’s great news for the Cardinals.
The Cubs set their NLDS roster. Theo Epstein and Joe Maddon have something special going on with that team – a team full of youth and excitement.
Besides causing the extreme confusion that comes with both teams having the same name, many St. Louis residents considered the Cardinals football team “Chicago’s rejects”. They haven’t scored since the fifth inning of that 4-0 victory, however. Then there’s Adam Wainwright. The Cardinals turn to lefty Jaime Garcia (10-6), who made 20 starts coming off risky thoracic surgery.
San Diego connections: Dollars product Kris Bryant went 0-for-3 with a walk in his first career playoff game while Rizzo, traded from the Padres for Andrew Cashner, went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. Maddon is now 14-17 in the playoffs.
The 2 teams have combined for one hundred and ninety seven regular season wins. “It can somewhat work in his favor”. They’ve still got plenty of power in Mark Reynolds. What the Cardinals lack is speed.
For a complete list of current standings and scores for the regular 2015 season, check out the official Major League Baseball website.
The Cubs have more versatility and more speed off the bench. In his only start against the Dodgers this season, deGrom held Los Angeles scoreless on two hits over 7 2/3 innings, striking out eight.
Experience: This is one where it isn’t really close. They have a legitimate shot with Arietta and Lester fronting their rotation, the latter of whom will get the start today. Lackey is anything but inexperienced.
That other guy would be old friend John Lackey, a free agent Theo Epstein once lured to Boston and a big-game pitcher for two World Series winners, the 2002 Anaheim Angels and the 2013 Red Sox.
The Cubs are 3-9 in their last 12 visits to St. Louis but are 10-1 in their last 11 road games.
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Chicago and St. Louis played each other 19 times this season. Lester came into Chicago this offseason and was expected to be the unquestioned ace of the Cubs’ remodeled staff. However, a 4-8 record, 3.59 ERA, and 1.26 WHIP, along with a very publicized issue with picking off runners at first base, led to him having a slightly underwhelming first half.
