Game Fourteen: Cubs (10-3) vs. Cardinals (7-6)
- Game Time – 7:15pm CDT
- Coverage – TV: Comcast SportsNet, MLB Network – Radio: WSCR 670 The Score, Cubs Radio Network, XM Radio Channels 89, 844
- Location – Busch Stadium, St. Louis
Jason Hammel (1-0, 0.75/1.25/3.36) vs. Jaime Garcia (1-0, 2.40/0.66/1.37)
Weather permitting … The Cubs turn to Jason Hammel and look to win Tuesday in game two of three in St. Louis.
The Cubs will have their hands full with Jaime Garcia. It will be imperative for Hammel to pick up where John Lackey left off. Garcia is off to a very good start to the season. And the lefty is coming off a tremendous outing.
Joe Maddon will likely stick with a balanced lineup tonight even with the southpaw on the hill. Garcia is a reverse-splits guy. Last season, Garcia limited right-handed batters to a .218/.266/.292 line with a .557 OPS while left-handers hit .250/.304/.327 against him with a .630 OPS. For his career, lefties (.268/.317/.370/.688) have hit the oft-injured Garcia slightly better than righties (.251/.303/.362/.665).
The Cubs will have to continue shutting out the Cardinals and the best fans in baseball as the noise will be louder tonight due to the frustrating loss in the opener of the series.
Tonight all starts with Jason Hammel …
Jason Hammel’s last game was overlooked when the offense turned it on late and scored five runs in the eighth inning. Jason Hammel was terrific and not only completed six innings of shutout ball against the Reds but he doubled in a run and scored another. The only issue from his last start was the four free passes. Hammel cannot continue walking as many batters as he has. It will catch up to him.
In two starts this season, Hammel has allowed one run on eight hits with seven walks and nine strikeouts in 12 innings.
Jason Hammel is 2-3 in seven career regular season starts against the Cardinals with a 5.97 ERA and 1.48 WHIP. Hammel made three of those starts last season. Hammel was 1-1 with a 5.73 ERA and 1.36 WHIP. And at Busch Stadium last year, Hammel was 1-1 in two starts with a 6.30 ERA and 1.50 WHIP.
Tonight will serve as a big test and measuring stick for Jason Hammel.
Cardinals Career Numbers against Jason Hammel
- Matt Holliday: 4-for-13 with three doubles and two walks
- Matt Carpenter: 3-for-14 with one double
- Yadier Molina: 6-for-13 with three doubles and one walk
- Brandon Moss: 3-for-11 with one double
- Jedd Gyorko: 1-for-8
- Randal Grichuk: 2-for-7 with one triple and one home run
- Matt Adams: 2-for-6 with one double
- Stephen Piscotty: 2-for-4 with one triple, one home run and one walk
- Kolten Wong: 1-for-4 with one double
- Jaime Garcia: 0-for-1
Jaime Garcia is healthy and is coming off one of the best starts of his career. Garcia took a no-hitter into the sixth inning against the Brewers. Garcia pitched a complete-game, one-hit shutout and struck out 13 batters with only one walk. Garcia was surprisingly good. Not because he doesn’t have the stuff to dominate but because he has not been able to stay off a disabled list long enough to pitch to expectations.
Garcia makes his third start of the season tonight after allowing four runs on six hits with four walks and 19 strikeouts over 15 innings in his first two games.
Garcia made 20 starts last season, the most for the lefty since the 2012 season. Garcia was 10-6 with a 2.43 ERA and 1.05 WHIP. And outside of the NLDS last year, when Garcia has faced the Cubs he has shut down the offense.
In six games, five starts, Garcia is 2-1 with a 2.00 ERA and 1.14 WHIP. Garcia has allowed 10 runs, eight earned, on 35 hits with six walks and 22 strikeouts in 36 career innings against the Cubs.
Tonight is Garcia’s first start against the Cubs in the regular season since 2012.
Cubs Career Numbers (Regular, Post-Season) against Jaime Garcia
- Dexter Fowler: 1-for-11 with three walks
- Jason Heyward: 2-for-12
- Miguel Montero: 2-for-2 with one home run and two walks
- David Ross: 0-for-3
- Kris Bryant: 0-for-2
- Jorge Soler: 2-for-2 with one double and one home run
- Jason Hammel: 0-for-2
- Anthony Rizzo: 0-for-1
- Addison Russell: 1 plate appearance, no official at bat
Let’s Talk Cubs Baseball …