Weekend Series Preview: Cards vs. Cubs
By David Chan
Rivalry renewed
The Cardinals and Cubs will resume their storied rivalry this weekend at Wrigley Field and it starts with an afternoon affair on Friday.
The Cubs entered yesterday's action just three games behind the NL Central-leading Cardinals. That makes this a crucial series as they try to close the gap heading into the All-Star break.
The host has won seven of the first nine meetings this season and the Cardinals are 6-3 against the Cubs so far in 2009.
Pitching matchup
Brad Thompson will go up against Rich Harden in the series opener.
The Cardinals went 3-1 in Thompson's first four starts this season, but have since dropped three in a row. The converted reliever hasn't pitched well lately, giving up 24 hits and 13 earned runs in his last 16 innings pitched. He has lasted beyond the sixth inning only once in seven starts this season.
Harden, meanwhile, hasn't posted Harden-like numbers so far this season. He is just 5-5 with a 5.35 ERA in 13 starts, including 2-4 with a 7.65 ERA at Wrigley Field. The Cubs have won just twice in Harden's last six trips to the hill.
Harden checks in at 1-4 with a 7.41 ERA in eight daytime starts. That compares to 4-1 with a 2.87 ERA at night.
Offensively challenged
The Cubs won the NL Central on the strength of their offense a year ago, but they appear to have left their bats in 2008.
They were held to a single run for the second straight game on Wednesday and are now averaging just 4.12 runs per game on the season.
Manager Lou Piniella is sick of talking about it.
“Frustrating? Look … what else can I say?” he told reporters following Wednesday's loss. “There’s nothing else to say, there really isn’t. You’ve just got to swing the bats better if we’re going to do anything the rest of the year, and that’s really the bottom line.
As a team, the Cubs are hitting just .247 so far in 2009.
One man show
It's no big secret the Cardinals will only go as far as Albert Pujols takes them. He's had another outstanding first half of the season, hitting .331 with 31 home runs and 82 RBIs.
Entering Friday's matchup, Pujols is just 4-for-17 over his last three games, so perhaps the Cubs are catching him at the right time.
The Cubs pitching staff did an exceptional job against Pujols in their early season series against the Cardinals at Wrigley, holding him to just one hit in 12 plate appearances. He went into that series on a 5-for-8 tear.