The St. Louis Cardinals (43-46, 20-28 away) and Chicago Cubs (44-45, 28-16 home) matchup in game two of a three-game series Saturday night. Chicago’s offense came alive in a 10-5 victory Friday night over the Cardinals, improving the Cubs to 6-1 against St. Louis this season.
The first pitch for Saturday’s contest is 8:10 p.m. EST at the confines of Wrigley Field in Chicago, IL. According to oddsmakers, the Cubs are a slight favorite (-115), and the run total is set at 7.
What to Know – St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis has dropped their last two contests and is 5-5 in their last ten games. The Cubs have had the Cardinals’ number all season, getting outscored 41-16 in the six losses. St. Louis currently resides in fourth place in the National League Central division, 9.5 games behind the leader.
The Cardinals look to lefty Kwang Hyun Kim (3-5, 3.39 ERA, 1.28 WHIP) to get St. Louis back in the win column. The southpaw has been effective in recent starts, going 2-0 in his last two outings. Kim held the San Francisco Giants to three hits and no runs over 7.0 innings of work in his last start.
St. Louis ranks 26th in the majors and 13th in the NL, hitting .229 as a team. Third baseman Nolan Arenado is heading to the All-Star Game and has been a major addition to the Cardinals’ lineup this year. The 30-year old slugger leads St. Louis with 17 home runs and 56 runs driven in as we near the halfway point of the season.
What to Know – Chicago Cubs
Chicago sat atop the NL standings midway through the first half of the season but are 2-12 in their last 14 contests, including a string of 11-straight losses. Even with the recent losing streak, the Cubs have the Cardinals’ number and find themselves in third place in the NL Central, one game ahead of the Cards.
Zach Davies (5-5, 4.28 ERA, 1.42 WHIP) takes the bump for the hosts. After posting a 9.47 ERA through April, Davies has settled down over recent months. The 28-year old tossed 5.0 innings in his last start, surrendering two earned runs on four hits in a no-decision.
The Cubs hit .227 as a team which puts them in 27th in MLB and 14th in the NL, right behind the Cardinals. Chicago has an All-Star third baseman of their own in Kris Bryant. After struggling in 2020, Bryant is hitting .271 with 16 home runs and 46 RBIs heading into the break.
Game Prediction
The rivalry between the Cubs and Cardinals is one of the best in baseball, but the rivalry has been a bit one-sided this season. Outside of playing each other, both teams have had their share of struggles this season, especially at the dish.
Neither pitcher is a confident selection, and Kim’s best starts have come at home this year, but it’s hard to picture this Cardinals team dropping its seventh game to Chicago in eight tries. St. Louis jumps out on Davies early and holds on to get a much-needed victory.
Game Prediction: St. Louis Cardinals ML
