This is one of the best and most heated rivalries in MLB. Think Yankees vs. Red Sox, only in the senior circuit. And both the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs have risen to the top of the NL Central giving the rivalry more fuel.
The Cards tweaked their roster in the offseason with hopes of ending a three-year playoff drought. The biggest addition was slugger Paul Goldschmidt, who gives them a long ball presence in the middle of the order. The Cards will turn to one of their veterans in the finale of the weekend set with Adam Wainwright toeing the rubber at Wrigley Field on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball.
This MLB game between the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs will be held at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois, at 7:05 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 5, 2019. The game will be nationally televised on ESPN.
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Odds Analysis
Winning five straight and 10 of 11 lifted the Cardinals to the best record in the NL. Their run ended with a 2-1 loss to Washington prior to this series but the Cards look like they have the additions to remain a threat in the division.
Fixing their early season issues with the pitching staff has allowed the Cubs to win 15 of 21 games entering this series. Jose Quintana was part of the problem that led to a brutal 1-6 start, but like the rest of the arms, he figured things out and has been a monster on the hill recently.
Probable Pitchers
Adam Wainwright (3-2, 3.73 ERA) has faced the Cubs more than any team, giving him a good grasp of the heated rivalry. The veteran righty is looking to regain his form after an injury-marred 2018 and he’s coming off his longest outing of the season allowing two runs in 6.1 frames to beat the Nats. He served up a pair of homers in that game and has been touched for three over 12.1 innings in his last two starts.
Wainwright has started 20 of 25 appearances at Wrigley and is 11-3 with a 3.78 ERA over 126.1 innings. He looks to continue that dominance in the first meeting between the clubs.
Take away the one outing where Jose Quintana (3-1, 3.48 ERA) allowed eight earned in 3.0 innings and his numbers are sparkling. That came in his first start and since then he’s allowed only 19 hits and five runs with 27 strikeouts and five walks over 26.2 innings in four starts. And he’s 3-0 in that span.
The lefty has opted to use more of his pitches and not rely solely on the four-seamer. The results are fewer hits, an increased strikeout total, and more wins. Quintana has been spectacular in two home starts with a 1.29 ERA and 18 Ks over 14 innings in a pair of wins.
Key Stat
The addition of Goldschmidt could be the singular reason for the Cards’ success to start the year. He’s a leader on the field and in the clubhouse, and he started the first 30 games playing all but two innings before getting a day off on Thursday. Now he’s rested so he can keep tormenting the Cubs.
Entering the weekend series, Goldy has a .353 average with 14 homers, 39 RBIs and a 1.170 OPS in 43 career games against the Cubs. He’s taken to the friendly confines as well and will get more opportunities now that he’s a division rival. In 22 games at Wrigley, Goldschmidt has a .337 average with five homers and 17 RBIs. He also has a three homer game on his resume.
Free MLB ATS Picks
The old saying says good pitching stops good hitting. If that’s the case, both starters better be on their game. The Cards and Cubs rank among the top six in average and runs per game, and Chicago is there without much assistance from Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo. Imagine what happens when those two start swinging. Wainwright has had success at Wrigley, but it’s time the Cubs get some payback. And I expect they will with their big hitters backing the solid pitching of Quintana, who’s been lights out at home.
MLB Pick: Chicago Cubs 6, St. Louis Cardinals 3
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