Cardinals Open Crucial 5-Game Series with Cubs – Full Preview
By Cory Huybregts in MLB Baseball
Updated: March 26, 2020 at 11:29 am EDTPublished:
- The Cubs sit atop the NL Central, 2.5 games ahead of the Brewers
- The Cardinals sit 7.5 games behind the Cubs and are two games above .500
- Game 1 of a five-game series starts July 19, 2018, at 7:00 PM ET
The second half of the 2018 MLB season begins today (July 19th) with the Chicago Cubs and St Louis Cardinals set to play five games in four days. First pitch of Game 1 is at 7:00 PM ET at Wrigley Field in Chicago.
The Cardinals
This series will go a long way in determining the fate of the Cardinals season. After this five-game stand, the Cards will head to Cincinnati for a quick three-game series against the Reds. Then they are back home for another three against the Cubs. The outcome of these next 11 games (eight against the Cubs) will determine if the Cardinals are buyers or sellers at the end of July.
The Cardinals already made their first move by firing Coach Mike Matheny before the All-Star break. Some would say the writing was already on the wall at the start of the season for Matheny to be axed, but the Cardinals play through the first half of the season made this decision easy.
Mike Shildt takes over as Interim Head Coach. The Cardinals performance over the second half of the season will determine if the interim tag is removed or not in 2019.
Shildt’s only experience as a Head Coach is in the minors, but his time with the team could be a benefit. Upper management has stated they want to “salvage” the season.
Carlos Martinez takes the mound for the Cardinals. He is 6-5 this season with a 3.08 ERA and 87 strikeouts. It’s been an average season for the right-hander thus far. But to his credit, some of his losses are due to the bullpen blowing his lead. Look for Martinez to start the second half of the season on a high note.
Martinez is 6-5 this season with a 3.08 ERA and 87 strikeouts
Matt Carpenter and Dexter Fowler need to step up and lead the Cardinals offense. Carpenter has had a significant turnaround since his awful May. But Fowler will need to move past the worst slump of his career if the Cardinals want to salvage the season.
The Cubs
This series has just as much importance to the Cubs as the Cards. The Cubs will want to cement their standing in the division early, and also prove they are still the best team in the NL after the Dodgers acquired Manny Machado.
Kyle Hendricks will take the mound for Chicago to open the series. Hendricks won his last outing against the Padres, pitching five innings with three strikeouts and giving up just two earned runs.
Baez is leading the NL in RBI’s, is 6th in SB, and 7th in HR
The Cubs offense will be led by super infielder Javier Baez. The 25-year-old second baseman is batting .292 this season with 19 HR and 72 RBI. Baez is leading the NL in RBI’s, is 6th in SB, and 7th in HR.
Team Stats
| 48-46, 24-22 away | RECORD | 55-38, 28-15 home | |
| Carlos Martinez, 6-5, 3.08 ERA | STARTING PITCHERS | Kyle Hendricks, 6-8, 3.92 ERA | |
| 2-3 | LAST 5 GAMES | 4-1 | |
| 118 | Team HR | 100 | |
| .244 | Team BA | .265 | |
| 1.29 | WHIP | 1.32 | |
| .242 | OPP BA | .230 |
Opening Odds
| MONEYLINE | RUNLINE | O/U RUNS | SERIES PRICE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cardinals +143 | Cardinals +1.5 (-135) | Over 9.5 (-105) | Cardinals +160 |
| Cubs -166 | Cubs -1.5 (+115) | Under 9.5 (-115) | Cubs -200 |
Cardinals vs Cubs Score Prediction
The Cubs look like a division-winning team. The Cardinals should start to plan their rebuild now. Game 1 of this series will prove both.
Cubs 4 – Cardinals 1.
Check out our MLB betting hub for the latest odds for every MLB game today.
Sports Writer
From hockey to football, to basketball, baseball, soccer, and rugby, Cory is on top of it all. He grew up playing sports, has worked around them ever since (including as a talent scout), and is one of SBD's most experienced bettors.
