It’s not a “must win” game until it is, but this is obviously close. Heading back to Wrigley down 0-2 would be a tough hill to climb. Going back 1-1, however, would actually be a perfectly solid outcome from this two-game trip to St. Louis.
Kyle Hendricks starts for the Cubs, though I presume his leash – as it is for most pitchers in the postseason – will be very short. As Luis noted, Hendricks continues to be quite strong the first two times through the lineup, so hopefully that’s what he can give the Cubs today.
Will it be enough?
Well, that depends not only on the bullpen arms that follow him, but also, of course, on the offense. Most have not seen Jaime Garcia much, and he was awfully good this year. It’s a tough match-up, but this is an explosive offense. Crooked innings are in there somewhere, especially if the Cubs can get Garcia to throw a lot of pitches early. That part’s not so easy, though, because he usually pounds the zone. If you get too picky, you can be down 0-2 very quickly.
Game Info
Chicago Cubs v. St. Louis Cardinals (STL leads 1-0), 4:30 CT on TBS.
Game Thread and Series Preview
Your game thread is down there in the comments, so have fun.
The Series Preview lives here.
Starting Pitchers
Kyle Hendricks (3.95 ERA, 3.36 FIP, 3.25 xFIP; 3.88 K/BB)
versus
Jaime Garcia (2.43 ERA, 3.00 FIP, 3.36 xFIP; 3.23 K/BB)
St. Louis Cardinals Lineup
1. Matt Carpenter, 3B
2. Stephen Piscotty, RF
3. Matt Holliday, LF
4. Jason Heyward, CF
5. Jhonny Peralta, SS
6. Brandon Moss, 1B
7. Yadier Molina, C
8. Kolten Wong, 2B
9. Jaime Garcia, P
Chicago Cubs Lineup
1. Dexter Fowler, CF
2. Jorge Soler, RF
3. Kris Bryant, 3B
4. Anthony Rizzo, 1B
5. Starlin Castro, 2B
6. Austin Jackson, LF
7. Miguel Montero, C
8. Kyle Hendricks, P
9. Addison Russell, SS