Cardinals at Cubs
Just nine days into the season, the Chicago Cubs already were 5 1/2 games out of first place in the National League Central. With a win in the finale of their three-game home series against St. Louis on Sunday, the Cubs would overtake the Cardinals for the division lead.
The Cubs have won 17 of their last 23 games to pull within one-half game of Central-leading St. Louis, including a 6-5 victory over the Cardinals on Saturday - their sixth straight triumph. Chicago rallied from a four-run deficit on Saturday, as Taylor Davis hit a grand slam and Javier Baez smashed a go-ahead homer in the eighth inning. The Cardinals have dropped three straight for the first time all season. Five of St. Louis’ 13 setbacks have been by one run.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, ESPN
PITCHING MATCHUP: Cardinals RH Adam Wainwright (3-2, 3.73 ERA) vs. Cubs LH Jose Quintana (3-1, 3.48)
Wainwright has posted two straight quality starts - both of which were victories - and four in his last six outings. The 37-year-old served up a pair of solo homers Tuesday at Washington, but those were the only runs he allowed in 6 1/3 innings. Wainwright is 15-10 with a 4.01 ERA in 45 career games (36 starts) against the Cubs, including an 11-3 mark and 3.78 ERA in 25 contests (20 starts) at Wrigley Field.
Quintana had his streak of three straight quality starts snapped last time out, but he still put the Cubs in a position to win. The 30-year-old allowed three runs over 5 2/3 innings and recorded only two strikeouts after racking up 25 in his previous three turns. Quintana is 4-3 with a 3.86 ERA in eight career starts against the Cardinals.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Cardinals activated RHP Luke Gregerson from the injured list on Saturday and optioned OF Tyler O’Neill to Triple-A Memphis.
2. Cubs SS Javier Baez went 2-for-4 with his 11th home run on Saturday and has multiple hits in 15 of the team’s first 30 contests.
3. St. Louis OF Harrison Bader is 7-for-19 during his six-game hitting streak, but he was given Saturday off.