Chicago @ St. Louis preview
Busch Stadium
Last Meeting ( May 23, 2016 ) Chi. Cubs 3, St. Louis 4
After handing the Chicago Cubs a season-high third consecutive loss, the St. Louis Cardinals hope to cut farther into their deficit in the National League Central when the rivals continue a three-game series Tuesday in St. Louis. Randal Grichuk’s walkoff homer in the ninth inning lifted the Cardinals to a 4-3 win Monday and evened the season series at two games apiece.
The Cardinals’ bench continued its late-inning heroics in Monday’s win, as Matt Adams hit a tying two-run blast in the seventh inning for St. Louis’ major league-leading ninth pinch-hit homer. The win pulled the Cardinals within six games of Chicago, which owns the best record in baseball and a five-game cushion over second-place Pittsburgh. The Cubs have lost their last three contests by a total of four runs, including back-to-back one-run defeats. Chicago has lost six of its last eight overall, scoring three or fewer runs in seven games over that span.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, ESPN, CSN Chicago, FSN Midwest (St. Louis)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Cubs RH Jason Hammel (5-1, 2.31 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Michael Wacha (2-4, 4.03)
Hammel endured his roughest outing of the season Thursday at Milwaukee, allowing a season-high four runs over six innings to suffer his first loss. The 33-year-old served up a pair of home runs after allowing only one over his first seven starts. Hammel is 3-3 with a 5.26 ERA in eight starts against the Cardinals, including a victory April 19 in which he gave up one run over six innings.
Wacha has lost four straight decisions and only avoided a fifth straight loss last time out because of excellent run support. The 24-year-old has lasted only four innings in each of his last two starts, allowing six runs in each. Wacha is 3-3 with a 4.86 ERA in nine games (eight starts) against the Cubs and has avoided them so far this season.
WALK-OFFS
1. Cubs 2B/OF Ben Zobrist went 3-for-4 Monday and is 16-for-38 during a 10-game hitting streak.
2. Cardinals OF Stephen Piscotty had his five-game hitting streak snapped Monday but is still 10-for-20 over his past six contests.
3. Chicago 1B Anthony Rizzo, who has just two hits in his last 30 at-bats, is 10-for-22 with two homers versus Wacha.
PREDICTION: Cardinals 5, Cubs 4