Over the next 114 years, the Cubs won 1,127 games against the St. Louis Cardinals and lost 1,097.
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That would be the historic National League best-of-five division series that begins Friday at Busch Stadium, where the Cubs get their first-ever shot at the St. Louis Cardinals in the playoffs.
(Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP). A few observers remember how he failed to hold a 7-3 lead in the eighth inning of the 2014 American League wild-card game at Kansas City while pitching for the Athletics. “I mean, it’s not a deciding game… one way or the other, you get a Game 2″.
St. Louis Police Chief Sam Dotson says officers will be in greater numbers for the best-of-five series that gets under way Friday at 5:45 p.m. Game 2 is on Saturday. Then it’s Kansas City hosting Houston in Game 2 at 3:45 p.m., before the National League grabs the spotlight at night. The other times it happened were 1906 and 1923.
The rules could change in future years, as commissioner Rob Manfred said recently that Major League Baseball would look into reseeding after the wild card games. Wacha, 24, has been a constant in the Cardinals rotation as he went 17-7 with a 3.38 ERA.
But Lester, the owner of World Series rings with the Red Sox in 2007 and 2013, has spoken often about the continued pursuit of championships and not being content with just reaching the playoffs.
“I wanted to come here to win”, Lester said after Thursday’s workout. “He’s good. No accident people running into each other this time of year”. Monday and Tuesday’s games will be in Chicago. Cole Hamels, acquired from Philadelphia in July following his no-hitter against the Chicago Cubs, starts for the Rangers.
But last month’s shooting of Sanna has been jarring to many Cardinals fans fretting about their safety downtown – concerns Dotson and St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay’s spokeswoman sought to allay Thursday, pointing out the 31-year-old suspect in Sanna’s case is in custody on $1 million cash bond related to multiple felony counts.
The Cubs and Cardinals have a 123-year rivalry without a single playoff game.
That’s exactly what Lackey did this year, compiling a solid 13-10 record with a more-than-respectable 2.77 ERA, while leading the NL with 33 games started. He played on two championship teams in Boston and is 6-4 with a 2.57 ERA in 12 postseason starts and 14 appearances for the Red Sox and Oakland Athletics. Toronto was hoping slugger Josh Donaldson would be able to play after he was kneed in the head by second baseman Rougned Odor while sliding in an attempt to break up a double play.
Expected in the lineup for Game 1 are Grichuk in right field and Piscotty at first. When the Mets set their NL Division Series roster, they must decide if rookie left-hander Steven Matz (back) is healthy enough to be included. Postseason baseball returns in Game 3 to venerable Wrigley Field, the quaint, old ballpark undergoing a multiyear renovation.
For Cubs General Manager Jed Hoyer, who was a top executive with the Boston Red Sox from 2002 through 2009 when he left to take the GM job with the San Diego Padres, the Cubs vs. Cardinals playoff series brings a sense of deja vu.
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[MORE: Adam Wainwright, Yadier Molina back in play for Cubs-Cardinals]. “Obviously, it was a serious injury”, Molina said. “But I don’t expect the Cardinals to go away”. The team said Scully was resting comfortably after a recommended procedure Thursday. I’ve seen a couple of pretty big ones. Scully missed the team’s final series of the regular season because of a cold.
