Chicago @ St. Louis preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 23, 2011 ) Chi. Cubs 5, St. Louis 1

THE STORY: The Chicago Cubs took the first step toward ending their rival’s dreams on Friday. Now they just need to do it again. The Cubs helped the Milwaukee Brewers clinch the National League Central title on Friday when they took down the second-place St. Louis Cardinals 5-1. That setback also dropped the Cardinals three games behind the Atlanta Braves in the NL wild-card race with five games left on the schedule. Chicago, which has been out of the race for months, would love to salvage something from this season by knocking out its chief rival. The Cardinals will be looking to stay alive behind Kyle Lohse when they host the Cubs again on Saturday afternoon.

TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, WGN (Chicago), FSWM (St. Louis)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Cubs RH Rodrigo Lopez (6-6, 4.71 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Kyle Lohse (14-8, 3.47 ERA).

Lopez put together his strongest outing of the season last time out, allowing four hits and an unearned run over six innings while striking out a season-high seven against the Houston Astros. The journeyman righthander has surrendered 18 home runs in just 91 2/3 total innings, but managed to hold the Astros in the park. Lopez has gotten crushed by St. Louis in 2011, allowing a total of 12 runs and 19 hits over 10 2/3 innings. Albert Pujols is 6-for-7 with three homers off Lopez.

Lohse will be looking to match a career high with his 15th win. The 32-year-old is 6-1 over his last nine turns and is coming off a win at Philadelphia in which he held the league-best Phillies to just an unearned run in 7 1/3 innings. Lohse earned a win over the Cubs on July 30 but is just 2-4 with a 5.97 ERA in 12 career starts against Chicago.

ABOUT THE CUBS (70-87): After being stymied by Chris Carpenter through seven innings Friday, Chicago was happy to see the Cardinals go to the bullpen for Kyle McClellan in the eighth. Four batters later Alfonso Soriano hit a three-run homer – his 25th – and the Cubs beat St. Louis. Chicago has won five of its last seven, allowing an average of 1.6 runs in the five victories. Starlin Castro, 21, recorded a pair of hits on Friday, giving him 201 for the season and making him the youngest player in franchise history to reach the 200-hit plateau.

ABOUT THE CARDINALS (86-71): St. Louis was within three outs of bringing its wild-card deficit to one game before collapsing in the ninth inning at New York on Thursday. Once again the bullpen, which has been an Achilles heel all season, let the team down on Friday. The gap now sits at three games. The schedule looks favorable for the Cardinals, who get league-worst Houston to close out the season while the Braves have to finish against the Phillies. Of course, if St. Louis cannot beat Chicago, the final three games won’t matter. Matt Holliday (finger) took batting practice on Friday and could return this weekend.

FINAL PITCH: Chicago third baseman Aramis Ramirez told the club on Wednesday that he will test free agency this winter. The All-Star has a mutual $16 million option for next season that he will decline. Ramirez also said he would be interested in returning to the Cubs but added, “We have to wait and see what the Cubs want to do. This is my priority to stay here. Like I said, they have to show me they’re going to be better. That’s the bottom line.”