The Cardinals-Cubs end a three-game set on this holiday weekend, with a series victory on the line at Wrigley.
St. Louis Cardinals at Chicago Cubs
St. Louis will try to even up its record with the final game of its current six-game road trip (2-3), while also picking up a winning series at Wrigley Field for the first time in over three years. The Cardinals’ lineup was dominated on Saturday, allowing Cubs SP Carlos Silva to tally a career-high 11 strikeouts en-route to a 5-0 victory. “He was on his game,” Cards outfielder Ryan Ludwick said. “He threw that changeup in any count.” With a pair of roster moves on Saturday, the pitching staff will carry 13 pitchers until at the upcoming off-day on Thursday. The Cardinals have compiled a 5-2 record when playing on Sunday’s this year (+240), but are 28-30 over the last three years overall (-870).
Cardinals SP Adam Wainwright is 4-0 with a 2.44 ERA in his last seven starts versus the Cubs, after going 0-3 with an 8.72 ERA in his first four. In fact, the team is a perfect 4-0 in his last four starts against their hated division rivals at Wrigley Field. The right-hander has a 2-3 record and 2.57 ERA in six starts on the road this season (-340) and has dropped his last two, including a 1-0 loss against the Padres at Petco Park on May 25. Wainwright has a perfect 4-0 record and 2.33 ERA in four daytime starts this season. The Cardinals have alternated wins and losses over his last eight starts (-220).
Chicago is 9-4 in its last 13 games after going 2-9 from May 4-14. The Cubs bullpen has led the charge, owning a 1.98 ERA in the team’s last 12 games, limiting opponents to a .171 batting average. Today’s game is the third (1-1) in a stretch that sees the Cubs play 12-straight games against NL Central opponents through June 10. The team has currently played 23 games against the division in 2010, recording a 10-13 record (-900) and has gone 105-78 (-180) against the Central over the last three years. Saturday’s victory moved the Cubs to a game over .500 during day games this season (13-12, -390).
Cubs SP Ryan Dempster is 4-5 with a 4.44 ERA in 15 career starts against the Cardinals (-240), including a 0-1 record and 3.33 ERA in four starts against the Cardinals last year. The right-hander is coming off his best start of the season, tossing eight shutout innings in a 3-0 home victory over the Dodgers. He scattered just three hits and managed to fan seven batters while issuing just a single walk in that contest. That victory stopped a five-game losing streak for the Cubs with Dempster on the hill. Chicago is 3-7 overall with him on the hill overall this season (-770).
It’s shocking to see the Cubs having a 19-40 record in their last 59 games as a home underdog, but they are 2-1 as a home underdog of +100 to +125 this season (+110). The Cardinals are 0-4 in their last four games as a road favorite of -110 to -150, but are 5-4 on the road with a moneyline of -100 to -125. Bettors more than likely side with the remarkable consistency of Wainwright, with the Cubs being 0-4 in Dempster’s last four starts following a quality start in his last appearance.
