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Cardinals Open Crucial 5-Game Series with Cubs – Full Preview

Cory Huybregts

by Cory Huybregts in MLB Baseball

Updated Mar 26, 2020 · 11:29 AM PDT

Mike Schildt of the Cardinals congratulating his player
Interim manager Mike Shildt will look to get the Cardinals back into contention, starting with a five-game series against the NL Central-leading Cubs. Photo by Keith Allison (Flickr).
  • The Cubs sit atop the NL Central, 2.5 games ahead of the Brewers
  • The Cardinals sit 7.5 games behind the Cubs and are two games above .500
  • Game 1 of a five-game series starts July 19, 2018, at 7:00 PM ET

The second half of the 2018 MLB season begins today (July 19th) with the Chicago Cubs and St Louis Cardinals set to play five games in four days. First pitch of Game 1 is at 7:00 PM ET at Wrigley Field in Chicago.

The Cardinals

This series will go a long way in determining the fate of the Cardinals season. After this five-game stand, the Cards will head to Cincinnati for a quick three-game series against the Reds. Then they are back home for another three against the Cubs. The outcome of these next 11 games (eight against the Cubs) will determine if the Cardinals are buyers or sellers at the end of July.

The Cardinals already made their first move by firing Coach Mike Matheny before the All-Star break. Some would say the writing was already on the wall at the start of the season for Matheny to be axed, but the Cardinals play through the first half of the season made this decision easy.

Mike Shildt takes over as Interim Head Coach. The Cardinals performance over the second half of the season will determine if the interim tag is removed or not in 2019.

Shildt’s only experience as a Head Coach is in the minors, but his time with the team could be a benefit. Upper management has stated they want to “salvage” the season.

Carlos Martinez takes the mound for the Cardinals. He is 6-5 this season with a 3.08 ERA and 87 strikeouts. It’s been an average season for the right-hander thus far. But to his credit, some of his losses are due to the bullpen blowing his lead. Look for Martinez to start the second half of the season on a high note.

Martinez is 6-5 this season with a 3.08 ERA and 87 strikeouts

Matt Carpenter and Dexter Fowler need to step up and lead the Cardinals offense. Carpenter has had a significant turnaround since his awful May. But Fowler will need to move past the worst slump of his career if the Cardinals want to salvage the season.

The Cubs

This series has just as much importance to the Cubs as the Cards. The Cubs will want to cement their standing in the division early, and also prove they are still the best team in the NL after the Dodgers acquired Manny Machado.

Kyle Hendricks will take the mound for Chicago to open the series. Hendricks won his last outing against the Padres, pitching five innings with three strikeouts and giving up just two earned runs.

Baez is leading the NL in RBI’s, is 6th in SB, and 7th in HR

The Cubs offense will be led by super infielder Javier Baez. The 25-year-old second baseman is batting .292 this season with 19 HR and 72 RBI. Baez is leading the NL in RBI’s, is 6th in SB, and 7th in HR.

Team Stats

Cardinals
VS
Cubs
48-46, 24-22 away RECORD 55-38, 28-15 home
Carlos Martinez, 6-5, 3.08 ERA STARTING PITCHERS Kyle Hendricks, 6-8, 3.92 ERA
2-3 LAST 5 GAMES 4-1
118 Team HR 100
.244 Team BA .265
1.29 WHIP 1.32
.242 OPP BA .230

Opening Odds

 

MONEYLINE RUNLINE O/U RUNS SERIES PRICE
Cardinals +143 Cardinals +1.5 (-135) Over 9.5 (-105) Cardinals +160
Cubs -166 Cubs -1.5 (+115) Under 9.5 (-115) Cubs -200

Cardinals vs Cubs Score Prediction

The Cubs look like a division-winning team. The Cardinals should start to plan their rebuild now. Game 1 of this series will prove both.

Cubs 4 – Cardinals 1.


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