(9-3) at St. Louis
(7-5)April 18, 2016
8:09 PM ET, 7:09 PM CT, 6:09 PM MT, 5:09 PM PT
Busch Stadium, St. Louis, Missouri
TV: ESPN, FSMW, WPWR
RADIO: KMOX 1120
J. Lackey (2-0, 5.68 ERA) M. Leake (0-1, 6.97 ERA)
Cubs/Cardinals Preview
It's fitting that the first meeting of the season between the Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals will see both John Lackey and Jason Heyward return to Busch Stadium.
Those players were on the opposite side a season ago when the upstart Cubs knocked off the Cardinals in an NL division series and could be greeted rudely by the St. Louis faithful in Monday night's three-game series opener.
St. Louis (7-5) has been to five straight postseasons and won 100 games last year for the first time in 10 years before its run of capturing four straight division series ended with a four-game loss to Chicago, which captured the league's second wild card.
The Cubs (9-3) then strengthened themselves in the offseason, most notably from a St. Louis perspective by the free agent signings of Lackey (2-0, 5.68 ERA) and Heyward.
The Heyward signing seemed to signal a changing of the guard in the NL Central, as Chicago not only splashed out a $184 million, eight-year contract for him but also held his introductory press conference at the swanky Spiaggia Restaurant in the city's famed Magnificent Mile. The outfielder indicated that the Cubs' youth was a major reason why he signed with them.
''I felt like if I were to look up in three years and see a completely different team, that would kind of be different for me,'' Heyward said. ''Chicago really offers an opportunity to come and really be introduced to the culture by a young group of guys, grow up with them and watch them grow up and still watch myself grow up and have some fun with familiar faces for a long time.''
Heyward, though, is off to a slow start for Chicago, going 9 for 44.
The Cardinals took exception to the notion they are an older club. There's also a culture clash between the no-nonsense, buttoned-down culture in St. Louis compared to the fun-loving atmosphere with the lovable Cubs, who held disco parties after games last year with the blessing of colorful manager Joe Maddon.
The Series:
Season series tied 0-0
April 18, 2016-CHC (Lackey) @ STL (Leake)-7:09 PM CDT
April 19, 2016-CHC (Hammel) @ STL (García)-7:15 PM CDT
April 20, 2016-CHC (Hendricks) @ STL (Martínez)-12:45 PM CDT
Baseball Reference 2016 Cardinals Statistics
2016 Current MLB Standings
2016 Current MLB Wild Card Standings
2016 Current MLB vs. Division Standings
2016 Current MLB vs. Expanded Standings
Busch Stadium-Home of the Cardinals
