Talkin’ Cubs Live – Cubs vs. Cardinals – 04/25/12

Chris Volstad (0-2, 6.19/1.37) vs. Lance Lynn (3-0, 1.42/0.74)

Updated 12:59pm CDT – Today’s Cubs-Cardinals game will not start on time. Cubs are thinking it will be a short delay.

Updated 1:20pm CDT – First pitch is scheduled for 1:35pm CDT

Weather permitting … The Cubs six-game homestand comes to an end this afternoon with the finale against the Cardinals. Dale Sveum’s team is 3-2 in the last five games and not only would a win today complete the sweep against the Cardinals but it would be a good way to spend an off day before beginning a difficult seven-game road trip.

This afternoon is a rematch of the game on April 14 in which the Cardinals took the middle game of the series 5-1. Lance Lynn held the Cubs to one run on four hits over 5 1/3 innings and it was a pair of Starlin Castro errors that opened the door to the Redbirds’ four-run fourth inning.

Today all starts with Chris Volstad … Chris Volstad showed improvement two outings ago against the Cardinals (four runs, three earned, on six hits without a walk and four strikeouts) and actually put together a quality start. Volstad regressed in his last start against the Reds. Dusty’s Bunch scored six runs on five hits with two walks and four strikeouts in five innings.

Chris Volstad has not posted a win in his last 14 starts. The last time he won a game was July 10, 2011 against the Houston Astros.

The Cardinals beat Volstad back on April 14 and the big right hander is 2-2 in five career starts against the Redbirds with a 4.99 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP.

Cardinals Career Numbers against Chris Volstad

• Carlos Beltran – 3-for-9 with two walks
• Matt Carpenter – 1-for-3 with a double
• Daniel Descalso – 1-for-6 with a triple
• Rafael Furcal – 4-for-13 with a double and a walk
• Tyler Greene – 2-for-8 with a double
• Matt Holliday – 6-for-14 with two doubles
• Jon Jay – 0-for-7
• Lance Lynn – 1-for-2
• Yadier Molina – 6-for-14 with a double
• Skip Schumaker – 3-for-10 with a double

Lance Lynn has been very, very, very good this season. Lynn has not allowed more than one earned run in his three starts this year … and has more than filled in for the injured Chris Carpenter. In 19 innings, Lynn has allowed only three runs on 10 hits with four walks and 17 strikeouts.

Lynn shutdown the Cubs back on April 14 (one run on four hits with two walks and five strikeouts) in his shortest outing of the season. Lynn allowed just one run to the Pirates on four hits over seven innings in his last start.

Lance Lynn will make his first career start at Wrigley this afternoon and is 1-0 in two career appearances, one start, against the Cubs with a 1.23 ERA and a 0.82 WHIP.

Cubs Career Numbers against Lance Lynn

• Jeff Baker – 0-for-1
• Darwin Barney – 0-for-3
• Starlin Castro – 1-for-3
• David DeJesus – 0-for-2 with a walk
• Bryan LaHair – 1-for-1 with a walk
• Alfonso Soriano – 2-for-4
• Geovany Soto – 0-for-3
• Ian Stewart – 0-for-2
• Chris Volstad – 0-for-2

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