Game One Hundred Forty-Five: Cubs (92-52) vs. Cardinals (76-68)
- Game Time – 12:45pm CDT
- Coverage – TV: ABC-7, MLB Network – Radio: WSCR 670 The Score, Cubs Radio Network, XM Radio Channels 185, 844
- Location – Busch Stadium, St. Louis
Jon Lester, LHP (16-4, 2.51/1.04/3.55) vs. Carlos Martinez, RHP (14-7, 3.05/1.20/3.65)
It is getaway day for the Cubs and Joe Maddon’s team will look to wrap up the nine-game, 10-day road trip with a win against the Cardinals. The Cubs are 4-4 over the first eight games of the three-city trip through Milwaukee, Houston and St. Louis. And Meat Loaf on the flight back home would setup for a big day on Thursday at Wrigley.
Jon Lester was moved up a day and will pitch on regular rest. Mike Montgomery was penciled in to start the Cubs last game of the year in St. Louis but Joe Maddon and Chris Bosio tweaked the rotation. Lester will have to keep the longball-hitting Cardinals in the park while his teammates figure out Carlos Martinez.
The Cubs could use a complete game today behind Jon Lester. The Cubs have struggled with consistency over the last two weeks and have played only one game that the team has fired on all cylinders. In what on paper should be a low scoring game, the Cubs could quiet their critics and ease the concerns of the fan base with a well-played game and a victory in St. Louis.
Today all starts with Jon Lester …
Jon Lester followed up his complete game against the Giants with seven innings of shutout ball in Houston his last time out. Lester scattered seven hits and did not walk a batter. Lester struck out seven as the Cubs improved to 9-1 in his last 10 starts.
Lester is 2-0 in his last two starts with a 0.56 ERA and 0.75 WHIP. Lester has allowed one run on 10 hits (a solo homer) with two walks and 11 strikeouts in 16 innings. And since the break, Lester is 7-0 in 10 starts with a 1.65 ERA and 0.96 WHIP.
Lester is 8-2 in 15 road starts this season with a 3.13 ERA and 1.17 WHIP. Today is Lester’s second start of the season against the Cardinals.
Lester received a no-decision on Aug. 11 at Wrigley. In a game the Cubs won 4-3, Lester allowed two runs on five hits with a walk and six strikeouts in six innings.
In seven regular season starts against the Cardinals, Lester is 1-3 with a 2.62 ERA and 1.14 WHIP. Lester makes his third regular season appearance at Busch today. Lester is 1-0 in two starts with a 1.29 ERA and 0.86 WHIP.
Cardinals Career Numbers against Jon Lester
- Jhonny Peralta: 14-for-54 with three doubles, three home runs and five walks
- Matt Carpenter: 5-for-27 with one double, one triple and three walks
- Brayan Pena: 9-for-29 with two doubles
- Yadier Molina: 6-for-25 with two doubles and two walks
- Brandon Moss: 4-for-12 with one home run
- Stephen Piscotty: 2-for-10 with one double, one home run and two walks
- Kolten Wong: 2-for-10 with one double and one walk
- Randal Grichuk: 0-for-8
- Tommy Pham: 2-for-7 with two home run and one walk
- Matt Adams: 0-for-5
- Carlos Martinez: 0-for-5
- Jedd Gyorko: 2-for-3 with one walk
- Greg Garcia: 0-for-2
The Cubs get another shot at Carlos Martinez tonight. And is always the case, if the Cubs can rattle Martinez early they will have a better chance to win the game.
Martinez is coming off a strong outing against the Brewers. Martinez gave up three runs, two earned, on nine hits with a walk and a strikeout in seven innings.
Martinez is 2-0 with a 2.77 ERA and 1.69 WHIP in his last two starts. Martinez has allowed five runs, four earned, on 16 hits with six walks and seven strikeouts in 13 innings. Over his last 10 starts, Martinez is 6-1 with a 3.38 ERA and 1.30 WHIP.
The Cardinals are 5-0 the last five times Martinez has started a game. The Cubs were beat the Cardinals 4-3 on Aug. 11 in a game started by Jon Lester.
Carlos Martinez is 1-1 in three starts against the Cubs this season with a 5.00 ERA and 1.39 WHIP. In 18 innings, the Cubs have scored 10 runs, all earned, on 16 hits with nine walks in 13 innings while Martinez has struck out 16 batters.
For his career, Carlos Martinez is 3-1 in 17 games, nine starts, against the Cubs with a 4.71 ERA and 1.43 WHIP.
Cubs Numbers against Carlos Martinez in 2016
- Kris Bryant: 2-for-8
- Dexter Fowler: 2-for-8 with one walk
- Jason Heyward: 3-for-9 with one double
- Anthony Rizzo: 3-for-8 with one triple, one home run and one walk
- Ben Zobrist: 2-for-7 with two walks
- Tommy La Stella: 0-for-4
- Miguel Montero: 0-for-5 with one walk
- Addison Russell: 1-for-4 with one walk
- Javier Baez: 0-for-3
- Chris Coghlan: 1-for-2 with one walk
- David Ross: 2-for-3 with one triple
- Jon Lester: 0-for-2
- Matt Szczur: 0-for-2
Let’s Talk Cubs Baseball …