Series Preview: Cardinals at Cubs, June 2 – June 4, 2017

The Cubs are undefeated in June!

The Cubs are hosting the St. Louis Cardinals this weekend, and it figures to be a surprisingly big series for how early into the season we are. The Cardinals are just 1.5 games up on the Cubs and in second place of the Central, so a three-game swing in either direction can be a pretty big development.

After the Cardinals series though, the Cubs will play just four games of their next TWENTY against teams above .500* (Marlins, Rockies*, Mets, Pirates, Padres, Marlins). Battling to a series victory this weekend, then, could lead to a nice stretch of baseball. Could.

Also: welcome back to Wrigley Field, Dexter Fowler.

We’re Going Streaking

The Chicago Cubs (25-27) just lost six games in a row to the Dodgers and Padres and stand two games under .500. They’re in third place of the NL Central and 3.0 games behind the Brewers overall.

The St. Louis Cardinals (26-25) have dealt with issues of their own, but managed to win their last two games against the Dodgers, splitting a four-game set. Cubs/Cardinals is always exciting, but this figures to be a must-watch series.

This might be the first time I’ve been *nervous* for a series in the regular season since 2015.

Location: Wrigley Field

Game Times and Broadcasts

  • Friday, June 2 at 1:20 CT on CSN-C, MLBN 670 The Score
  • Saturday, June 3 at 1:20 CT on WGN, 670 The Score
  • Sunday, June 4 at 6:35 CT on ESPN, 670 The Score
  • Expected Starters and Lineups

    These lineups are likely to be pretty close to what actually gets fielded, but you’ll want to check each day’s Lineup or Pre-Gamin’ post for the actual lineup.

    Chicago Cubs

    Starters:

  • John Lackey (5.18 ERA, 5.04 FIP, 3.95 xFIP; 3.16 K/BB)
  • Jon Lester (3.86 ERA, 3.48 FIP, 3.59 xFIP; 2.91 K/BB)
  • Kyle Hendricks (3.75, 4.22 FIP, 3.81 xFIP; 2.67 K/BB)
  • Approximate Lineup:

    1. Ben Zobrist, 2B
    2. Kyle Schwarber, LF
    3. Kris Bryant, 3B
    4. Anthony Rizzo, 1B
    5. Ian Happ, CF
    6. Jason Heyward, RF
    7. Willson Contreras, C
    8. Addison Russell, SS
    9. Pitcher

    Javy Baez will work in at shortstop for Russell and at second base for Ben Zobrist. Ian Happ may also move in and out of center field, substituted by Albert Almora or Jon Jay. And, of course, Miguel Montero will probably catch one of these three games (though not tomorrow, with Jon Lester on the mound). [UPDATE: Today’s lineup is out, and there are a number of switcharoos.]

    St. Louis Cardinals

    Starters:

  • Lance Lynn (2.93 ERA, 4.73 FIP, 4.24 xFIP; 2.65 K/BB)
  • Mike Leake (2.24 ERA, 3.26 FIP, 3.52 xFIP; 4.36 K/BB)
  • Michael Wacha (3.99 ERA, 3.50 FIP, 3.75 xFIP; 2.82 K/BB)
  • Approximate Lineup:

    1. Dexter Fowler, CF
    2. Matt Carpenter, 1B
    3. Stephen Piscotty, RF
    4. Jedd Gyorko, 3B
    5. Yadier Molina, C
    6. Tommy Pham, LF
    7. Paul DeJong, 2B
    8. Aledmys Diaz, SS
    9. Pitcher

    Hot or Not and Whom to Watch

    Chicago Cubs – Pitching

    For a series against the Cardinals at Wrigley Field at this particular moment in time, the Cubs are sending arguably the three pitchers you’d most like to see to the mound.

    Today’s starter, John Lackey, hasn’t been great lately (we’ll talk about this more later), but has had a lot of success against his former organization over the past year. Jon Lester has been the Cubs’ most consistent pitcher this season (though to be fair his last start was his worst) and is at his best at Wrigley Field. And finally, Sunday’s starter, Kyle Hendricks, has been trending in the right direction ever since his third start of the year. If the Cubs are going into this series cold, at least they’re bringing their best guns.

    ***

    The Cubs’ top two relievers – Wade Davis and Carl Edwards Jr. – both have top ten ERAs in all of baseball right now. But, surprisingly, it’s Edwards (0.90 ERA, 20.0 IP) not Davis (0.98 ERA, 18.1 IP) who takes the top spot on the team.

    Chicago Cubs – Offense

    While Anthony Rizzo did begin to get hot for a while there, he is 0 for his last 13 and just 2 for his last 26. Sigh. This Cubs offense needs to get back on track.

    Similarly frustrating, Kris Bryant hasn’t had a multi-hit game in any of his past ten tries and has just two extra base hits during that stretch, to boot.

    I am, on the other hand, loving what I’ve seen from Willson Contreras over the past month or so. In May, he hit .253/.333/.453 which is good for a 108 wRC+. But, if you start the cutoff right after he literally caught 18 innings straight against the Yankees, he looks even better: .320/.390/.600 with three homers and two doubles in 59 plate appearances.

    Dude is raking.

    St. Louis Cardinals – Pitching

    The Cubs may be sending their best pitcher, Jon Lester, to the mound on Saturday afternoon, but the Cardinals are doing the same with Mike Leake.

    After disappointing in his first season with St. Louis last year, Leake has come out of the gate quite strong in 2017 (his 2.24 ERA is third best in MLB and best in the NL). How is he doing it? The same way he always has: loads and loads of ground balls (53.2% – 11th in MLB) and not a ton of hard contact (29.1% – 24th best in baseball).

    If the Cubs want to beat him, they’ll have to elevate the ball and square him up, because, basically, he doesn’t walk anyone (4.2 BB%) and rarely strikes guys out (18.1 K%).

    St. Louis Cardinals – Offense

    As a whole, the Cardinals offense (94 wRC+) has been only just better than the Chicago Cubs (93 wRC+) and below average overall. They are also middle of the pack in walk rate and well below average in ISO.

    Jedd Gyorko has been – by far – the best hitter on the team, slashing .321/.370/.560 in what’s shaping up to be a career year, though Matt Carpenter remains firmly above average (113 wRC+). Other than that, no one on the Cardinals has a wRC+ on the right side of 100 – Dexter Fowler’s close (98), but he wouldn’t pick this weekend to turn things around, would he?

    ***

    Like my Apple Watch always annoyingly tells me at the worst times, my friends, BREATHE. And, you know, enjoy an exciting, meaningful weekend series with the Cardinals at Wrigley Field.

    written by

    Michael Cerami began covering the Chicago Cubs for Bleacher Nation as a part-time contributor in 2015. One year later, he joined Bleacher Nation full-time, covering the Chicago Cubs and Major League Baseball. Today, Michael runs Bleacher Nation, contributing as a writer (Cubs, MLB) and an editor for all sections of the site, including the Chicago Bears, Bulls, and Blackhawks, as well as MLB, NBA, NHL, and NFL. In 2019, Michael was the co-host of NBC Sports Chicago's Cubs Post-Game Show Outside the Ivy. You can find him on Twitter/X @Michael_Cerami

    more cubs news

    Pre-Gamin’: Cubs at Rangers – Lineups, Pitching Matchup, Broadcast Info, Game Thread

    *SHORT COURTS: It's Time To Bring The Home Court, Home! Looking for a unique way to celebrate your athlete or team before you peruse the FIRST CHICAGO CUBS LINEUP of the Year? Don't miss out! For just one more week...

    The Cubs Are Among the Most Returning-y Teams

    I am still mostly incapacitated at the moment, so apologies for the short shrift on such an otherwise blessed day. In between pokes and prods, I wanted to share a chart I saw that was pretty interesting, even if unsurprising:...

    Maybe the Cubs Are the Favorites in the NL Central, After All?

    ESPN was the first to throw some love the Cubs way this week, with an overwhelming majority of their writers, analysts, and editors picking the Chicago Cubs to win the NL Central in 2024. But the love doesn't end there....

    The Season Begins, Love for Morel, Counsell’s Value, and Other Cubs Bullets

    You know where you want to spend your Opening Day morning? The hospital! Suffice to say, this is not how I imagined getting HYPED for the Cubs' opener. I guess I'll just have to think about all the possible lineup...

    Cubs vs Rangers: The First Series of the Year!

    Cubs vs Rangers — THE REGULAR SEASON IS HERE! Wake up and rejoice. Later tonight, the Cubs will begin their march toward October Baseball against the (reigning World Series champion) Texas Rangers in Arlington. Justin Steele is getting the nod...

    The 2024 Chicago Cubs for Dummies

    Boom. We made it. The offseason is over, and the Cubs regular season - and those elevated expectations - begins tomorrow. But in case you slept through the winter, I'm here to catch you up on everything you need to...

    I’m Expecting More This Year, Cubs — It’s Time to Start Winning

    There's no way around it: The Chicago Cubs did *not* have the offseason we hoped they might after making Craig Counsell the highest paid manager in MLB history. Not that they did poorly, mind you. Cody Bellinger, Shota Imanaga, and...

    I Dug Deep on the Cubs 2024 Schedule (And I Like What I See)

    Finally, with Cody Bellinger in the fold, we can start focusing more seriously on the season ahead. So today, I thought we'd take a look at the Cubs 2024 schedule. You can flip through the Cubs 2024 schedule right here...

    Here’s What I’m Betting on the Cubs for Opening Day

    I get it. Sports betting isn't for everyone — like, say, the interpreter for an international baseball superstar — but some of us quite enjoy it! If you are one of those people, this article is for you. Below, I'm...

    WAKE UP, BASEBALL IS BACK

    The day has arrived. Opening Day. The most glorious day on the baseball calendar, save for the day of each Chicago Cubs World Series win, of course. See, I get to say things like that on Opening Day. Maybe the...

    Latest News

    Rome Odunze Has a Visit With the Bears Coming Soon

    If you aren't already familiar with Rome Odunze's name or game, your time will come. The University of Washington wide receiver is one of the top prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft. At this point of the year, I've officially...

    Matt Eberflus Opens a Window to the Chicago Bears Draft Plans

    NFL coaches are notoriously tight-lipped. And in his first two seasons as Bears head coach, Matt Eberflus has been no different. But every once in a while you'll catch Eberflus peel back the curtain and provide some insight regarding the...

    How to Watch Braves vs. Phillies: Live Stream or on TV

    The Atlanta Braves, with Spencer Strider on the mound, take on the Philadelphia Phillies (who will counter with Zack Wheeler) in their opening game of the season, at 3:05 PM ET on Friday.Keep reading to find out all the details...

    Jonas Valančiūnas Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Bucks – Thursday, March 28, 2024

    On Thursday at 8:00 PM ET, the New Orleans Pelicans play the Milwaukee Bucks, and Jonas Valančiūnas' 3-pointer prop for this clash requires just one trey.Jonas Valančiūnas' Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the BucksJonas Valanciunas' over/under for three-pointers in this game:...

    What Would be the Best Draw for the Chicago Bulls in the Play-In Tournament?

    Nine games stand between the Chicago Bulls and the Play-In Tournament. I know ... yippie! Practically locked into the No. 9 seed, this puts them in line to host the No. 10 seed at the United Center in Round 1....

    Top 25 College Basketball Picks and Best Bets: March 28

    The Illinois Fighting Illini and the Iowa State Cyclones hit the court in one of four games on the college basketball slate on Thursday that include a ranked team.How to Bet on Top 25 Games[lasso rel="draftkings-promo-1" id="299003"]Top 25 Games for...

    What Does a Chicago Bears NFL Draft Trade Down Look Like?

    You'd think we'd be well-versed in trade-back options after months of wondering what kind of haul it would take for the Bears to move off taking quarterback Caleb Williams with the first pick of the 2024 NFL Draft. But trading...

    Diamondbacks vs. Rockies Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, March 28, 2024

    The Arizona Diamondbacks begin their season as -226 favorites in a home tilt against the Colorado Rockies on Thursday at 10:10 PM ET, live on ARID.Arizona's Zac Gallen and Colorado's Kyle Freeland have been named the starters for this contest.Diamondbacks...

    Mariners vs. Red Sox Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, March 28, 2024

    The Seattle Mariners start their season as home favorites (-155) in a matchup with the Boston Red Sox on Thursday at 10:10 PM ET, live on NESN from T-Mobile Park.Seattle's Luis Castillo and Boston's Brayan Bello have been named the...

    Guardians vs. Athletics Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, March 28, 2024

    The Cleveland Guardians look to start their season with a win as road favorites (-145) in a season-opening matchup with the Oakland Athletics. First pitch is on Thursday at 10:07 PM ET on NBCS-CA, live from Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.Cleveland's Shane...

    more cubs news