Chicago @ St. Louis preview
Busch Stadium
Last Meeting ( Jun 26, 2015 ) Chi. Cubs 2, St. Louis 3
The St. Louis Cardinals have been nearly unbeatable at home, where they aim for an eighth consecutive victory when they face the Chicago Cubs on Saturday. The Cardinals won their seventh straight at home and fourth in a row overall by rallying for a 3-2 triumph in 10 innings in Friday's series opener.
St. Louis found an unlikely hero Friday in rookie Greg Garcia, whose pinch-hit homer leading off the eighth inning tied the game. The late collapse by the bullpen was a big blow to the Cubs, who badly needed to win the opener with the inexperienced Donn Roach slated to make a spot start in place of an injured Tsuyoshi Wada on Saturday. Michael Wacha gets the start for the Cardinals at Busch Stadium, where he is 10-2 with a 2.51 ERA in his career. Cubs stars Anthony Rizzo (4-for-11, homer) and Starlin Castro (5-for-11, homer) have given Wacha trouble.
TV: 7:15 p.m. ET, FOX
PITCHING MATCHUP: Cubs RH Donn Roach (2014: 1-0, 4.75 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Michael Wacha (9-3, 2.85)
Roach pitched in 16 games with San Diego last season, including one start in which he allowed four runs and four hits in three innings. The 25-year-old has fared well as a starter at Triple-A Iowa this season, going 7-1 with a 2.29 ERA in 14 outings. The Las Vegas native pitches to contact and counts on his sinker to induce ground-ball outs.
Wacha has enjoyed a terrific campaign thus far but has hit some bumps in the road of late, failing to record quality starts in three of his last five turns. The 23-year-old endured his worst outing of the season last time out, allowing five runs and eight hits over five innings in a loss at Philadelphia. Wacha is 2-1 with a 3.20 ERA in five games (four starts) versus the Cubs.
WALK-OFFS
1. Friday's loss dropped the Cubs to 27-1 when leading after seven innings and 18-13 in one-run games.
2. 2B Kolten Wong recorded two of the Cardinals' six hits Friday and is 9-for-23 in seven games versus the Cubs this season.
3. The Cardinals have scored 44 runs in the eighth inning this season, their most in any frame.
PREDICTION: Cardinals 4, Cubs 1