The Cubs go for a three-game sweep on national television, but will have to do it against one of the top pitchers in baseball.
St. Louis Cardinals at Chicago Cubs
St. Louis dropped a half-game behind the Cincinnati Reds in the National League Central race due to Saturday’s 4-2 loss at Wrigley Field. The Cardinals will try to avoid being swept on the road in this series since dropping four in a row in July 2006. The club has averaged just 3.9 runs and hit for a combined .225 average over the last seven games, but the pitching staff has held opponents to just .24 runs and a .248 mark in the same span. St. Louis has tallied a 20-27 road mark this season with the total being 19-28 O/U in those games. The team is 35-29 against right-handed starters this season (-370), but the stat is misleading in tonight’s situation due to the Cardinals producing a dismal 6-18 mark in their last 24 road games versus righties.
Cardinals starting pitcher Chris Carpenter is 11-3 with a 3.05 ERA in 21 starts this season (+480) and has tallied two consecutive victories over the Dodgers and Phillies. In those two outings, he lasted eight innings in each while allowing two earned runs and nine hits over 16 innings. The right-hander is 3-1 with a 3.07 ERA in nine road starts, managing to strike out 53 batters and walk just 17. Carpenter has made four starts this month, producing an even 2-2 mark and 4.68 ERA, after going a perfect 3-0 and 2.30 ERA in six June outings. In 18 lifetime starts versus the Cubs, he is 10-3 with a 2.73 ERA, including a 7-2 record and 3.66 ERA in seven outings at Wrigley Field.
Chicago broke its 10-series losing streak against teams from the NL Central with yesterday’s victory and now look to push is home record above .500 for the season. The offense has benefited from manager Lou Piniella changing the lineup around to place Tyler Colvin and Starlin Castro at the top of the order, with the team batting .321 and averaging 7.2 runs since July 18. The Cubs are averaging 6.1 runs and hitting a combined .305 over their last seven games, which is much better than tonight’s situation. Chicago has managed to score just 4.2 runs and hit for a .263 average in night games this season, leading the team to a losing 21-26 mark (-910).
Cubs starting pitcher Ryan Dempster is 8-7 with a 3.70 ERA in 20 starts this season (-630) and has struck out 130 batters in 133.2 innings of work. The right-hander has led the team to three straight victories, giving up 12 runs (nine earned) and 22 hits in 16.2 frames. He brings an even 4-4 record and 3.69 ERA in 10 home starts into tonight’s contest, with opposing batters hitting for a .217 average. Dempster has made 162 career appearances (50 starts) at Wrigley Field, going 32-23 with a 3.59 ERA. In 42 career outings (16 starts) versus the Cardinals, he is 6-7 with a 4.55 ERA, while losing his last home start against them on May 30. In that appearance, he allowed six runs on nine hits in 6.2 innings of work.
Bettors will likely play the road team in this contest, with the Cardinals being 52-21 in Carpenter’s last 73 starts versus divisional opponents. St. Louis is just 2-5 in his last seven starts as a road favorite of -110 to -150 and the club is just 9-7 on the road with a money line of -100 to -125 (+90). The Cubs will be a home underdog of +100 to +125 for just the 11th time in the last three years (4-6, -170), but seven of those contests have occurred in 2010 (3-3, +20).
