Cubs at Cardinals
The race for the National League Central division crown intensifies Tuesday night in St. Louis, where the Cardinals host the rival Chicago Cubs in the opener of a big three-game set. The teams enter the series tied atop the division and just a game up on Milwaukee, which pays a visit to the Cubs this coming weekend.
Chicago salvaged the finale of a three-game set with the Brewers with Sunday's 11-4 win, riding Kyle Schwarber's career-high seven RBIs to just its second victory in the past seven games. The home team has won all nine matchups this year between the Cubs and Cardinals, with Chicago picking up the most recent of a trio of three-game sweeps at Wrigley Field last month. "Thinking back to the last time we played them, we owe them a few," St. Louis shortstop Paul DeJong told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch after Sunday's 6-2 loss to Houston. "Sweeps thus far. Hopefully that continues for us at home here." Cardinals right-hander Adam Wainwright blanked Chicago over eight innings in a win at home June 2 and seeks a similar effort when he goes in the opener at Busch Stadium opposite Yu Darvish for the Cubs.
TV: 8:15 p.m. ET, MLB Network, NBCS Chicago, FS Midwest (St. Louis)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Cubs RH Yu Darvish (3-4, 4.54 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Adam Wainwright (7-7, 4.63)
Darvish has finished at least six innings in a season-high four straight starts, posting a 2.92 ERA in that stretch. He has 64 strikeouts in 55 1/3 innings on the road while holding opponents to a .209 average. The 32-year-old yielded one run and three hits in six innings in his only prior start at Busch Stadium earlier in the year.
Wainwright followed up his eight scoreless innings against the Cubs last month with a rocky showing in Chicago a week later, allowing three runs and seven hits in 4 1/3 frames. He is 16-12 with a 4.06 ERA in 48 career games (39 starts) versus the longtime rivals and has had plenty of success against many of the Cubs' regulars. Schwarber, Anthony Rizzo, Javier Baez, Willson Contreras and Albert Amora Jr. are a combined 21-for-118 with just three home runs and 25 strikeouts when facing Wainwright.
WALK--OFFS
1. St. Louis 1B Paul Goldschmidt's home run streak ended at six games in Sunday's loss but he kept alive a seven-game hitting streak, during which he's batting .345 with 13 RBIs.
2. Chicago 3B Kris Bryant is 0-for-10 with five strikeouts over his last two games.
3. The Cardinals have won six of the last seven meetings at home while holding the Cubs to an average of 2.1 runs.