Cubs at Cardinals
The Chicago Cubs attempt to turn things around on their road trip as they begin the final leg against the National League Central-rival St. Louis Cardinals on Monday. Chicago began its nine-game trek by dropping two of three at both Milwaukee and San Francisco and enters the series versus St. Louis after managing only three hits in a 1-0 loss to the Giants on Sunday.
Ben Zobrist notched one of those hits to extend his streak to nine games — a stretch during which he is 13-for-34 but has driven in just one run. St. Louis has been mediocre thus far during its nine-game homestand, winning two of three against Colorado while finishing 1-2 versus Arizona after Sunday's 7-2 setback. The Cardinals have lost four of their last six home series, including a three-game set against Chicago from April 18-20 during which they totaled one run on a pair of losses before avoiding a sweep with a 5-3 victory in the finale. Stephen Piscotty look to continue his torrid month at the plate, as he has recorded three multi-hit performances during his five-game streak and has hit safely in 17 of his last 19 contests.
TV: 8:15 p.m. ET, CSN Plus Chicago, FSN Midwest (St. Louis)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Cubs RH John Lackey (4-2, 3.31 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Adam Wainwright (4-3, 5.92)
Lackey hopes for a repeat performance in his second start of the season — and his career — opposing St. Louis, where he called home the previous two years, as he scattered four hits and struck out 11 over seven scoreless innings in a victory April 18. The 37-year-old Texan has allowed fewer than three earned runs in each of his last four outings but has notched just one victory in that span. Lackey has had mixed results on the road this year, allowing six runs in two separate starts while yielding a total of one run in his other two turns.
Wainwright is coming off his fourth consecutive victory, a triumph over Colorado on Wednesday in which he scattered six hits over 6 2/3 scoreless innings. It was a complete turnaround performance for the 34-year-old native of Georgia, who was tagged for seven runs — six earned — and 11 hits in five frames by the Los Angeles Angels six days earlier but still managed to record a road victory. Wainwright is 12-7 with a 3.95 ERA in 37 career games (28 starts) against Chicago.
WALK-OFFS
1. Cubs RF Jason Heyward likely will miss at least some of the series because of a bruised rib cage suffered while making a diving catch Friday.
2. St. Louis RHP Alex Reyes, the organization's No. 1 prospect, returned from his 50-game suspension Sunday to notch eight strikeouts and give up two hits over four scoreless innings for Triple-A Memphis.
3. Chicago has lost seven of its last 11 overall games, including two straight on the road for the first time this season.