Preview: Cardinals at Cubs

[June 02, 2017]  Once the spark plug for the Chicago Cubs’ curse-breaking World Series championship team, Dexter Fowler returns to Wrigley Field with the St. Louis Cardinals for a three-game series starting Friday. Fowler, the leadoff hitter and center fielder during the Cubs’ title run last season, will receive his World Series ring in a ceremony prior to Friday’s opener.

The Cubs’ lineup hasn’t been the same without Fowler at the top, especially recently. Chicago lost all six games on a West Coast road trip that wrapped up Wednesday with a 2-1 loss at San Diego, and the Cubs scored a total of nine runs on the trip. The Cardinals also have scuffled at the plate of late, but dominant pitching helped them split a four-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers earlier this week - winning 2-1 on Wednesday and 2-0 on Thursday. St. Louis is 1 1/2 games behind Milwaukee in the National League Central, while the Cubs are three games back.

TV: 2:20 p.m. ET, MLB Network, FSN Midwest (St. Louis), CSN Chicago

PITCHING MATCHUP: Cardinals RH Lance Lynn (4-3, 2.93 ERA) vs. Cubs RH John Lackey (4-5, 5.18)

Lynn is winless in his last four starts, though he pitched well enough to win two of them. The 30-year-old was dominant in a no-decision May 23 against the Los Angeles Dodgers, allowing one run and two hits over eight innings with a season-high 10 strikeouts, but he gave up four runs in five innings in a loss Sunday at Colorado. Lynn is 6-6 with a 4.11 ERA in 16 games (15 starts) against the Cubs.

Lackey has lost his last two starts, allowing five runs over five innings in each. The 38-year-old owns just one quality start in his last eight outings and has surrendered 13 home runs, including at least one in eight of his 10 starts. Lackey is 2-1 with a 2.48 ERA in five starts against his former team, including a win in his season debut April 6 in St. Louis.

WALK-OFFS

1. Cubs 1B Anthony Rizzo is 11-for-32 with four doubles and two homers against Lynn, but the rest of Chicago’s active roster is a combined 10-for-58 with 18 strikeouts.

2. Cardinals INF Jedd Gyorko will take paternity leave Friday and Saturday before returning to the team for Sunday’s series finale.

3. Lackey has struggled to a 1-3 record and a 5.27 ERA in five home starts this season.

PREDICTION: Cardinals 6, Cubs 4

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