Emotions always run high in St. Louis when the Chicago Cubs come to town, but they might be cranked up another notch when John Lackey and Jason Heyward return to face their former team Monday. Lackey gets the start on the mound and Heyward likely will be in the lineup for the Cubs when they open a three-game series against the arch-rival Cardinals.
Chicago is coming off its first series loss of the season after dropping two of three to visiting Colorado over the weekend, and the Cubs’ potent lineup sputtered in the two losses. The Cubs are among the highest-scoring teams in the majors, but they were held to three hits in a 2-0 defeat in Sunday’s series finale after losing the series opener 6-1. The Cardinals boast the highest-scoring lineup in the majors and have hit double digits in runs four times already this season, but they did just enough with the bats in a 4-3 win in the rubber match of a three-game set with Cincinnati on Sunday. Eight different players hit homers for St. Louis in the series, and the Cardinals have belted 12 homers in the past four games.
TV: 8:09 p.m. ET, ESPN, WPWR (Chicago), FSN Midwest (St. Louis)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Cubs RH John Lackey (2-0, 5.68 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Mike Leake (0-1, 6.97)
Lackey posted the best ERA of his career in a Cardinals uniform last season before bolting to Chicago in free agency. Lackey has won his first two starts for the Cubs, and after being hit hard in a 14-6 win in his debut, he held the Reds to two runs over 6 2/3 innings with seven strikeouts last time out. Lackey has never faced the Cardinals, but he was 11-4 with a 2.03 ERA at Busch Stadium over the past two seasons.
Leake has not impressed in his first two outings for the Cardinals, allowing four runs in each. He didn’t make it out of the fifth inning in his St. Louis debut but was more effective Wednesday against Milwaukee, striking out six over six innings. The longtime Reds pitcher has fared well in 19 starts against the Cubs, going 9-2 with a 3.15 ERA and winning his last five decisions against Chicago dating back to 2012.
WALK-OFFS
1. Heyward snapped an 0-for-11 skid with a double in the ninth inning Sunday and is hitting .205.
2. St. Louis C Eric Fryer is 6-for-6 to begin his tenure with the Cardinals.
3. The Cardinals have made 14 errors, tied with Cincinnati for the most in the majors.