Cubs/Cardinals Game 2 Odds

R.I.P. DARRYL KILE: In 2002, a Cardinals-Cubs game was tearfully postponed after St. Louis ace Darryl Kile was found dead in a Chicago hotel room.

The dominant pitching performance was hardly a surprise given St. Louis’ major league-best 2.94 ERA during the season, including a 2.99 mark from its starters.

He is 11-0 with a 0.41 ERA since the end of July, which is the lowest ERA by a pitcher since the statistic was even invented. He sets the tone. But unlike the two young pitchers, Villanueva has served in a similar role all season and is used to having to pitch after long layoffs.

The best part of the night may have been Adam Wainwright’s first postseason relief appearance since the 2006 World Series. However, the Cardinals announced before the fifth inning of what was eventually a 6-3 loss to the Cubs that they took Garcia out because he was suffering from a stomach virus. And into right field.

The bunt might be the most reviled play in modern baseball, the domain of incompetent managers who don’t understand the value of an out and hoary old-timers who believe in the nobility of sacrificing oneself. Their archrivals have been the gold standard in the National League for the past decade. It could be their stunning talent that has given them this confidence, this ability to dare. A high school senior at the time, Arrieta instead chose to go to college. Yet, the advantage moves to the Cubs, because guess who’s pitching on Monday night at Wrigley Field? Jaime Garcia had a throwing error as the Cardinals surrendered 5 unearned runs in the second inning.

“That was fun, wasn’t it?”

Yadier Molina called for the ball at home but by the time Garcia had whipped around, Jackson had slid home to tie the score. But it put Cardinals manager Mike Matheny in a bad spot.

Illness was not going to keep him from what injuries had nearly taken away. The same guy who, two years ago, said: “I think the bunt is an overrated play”. “I didn’t see pine tar from the dugout”.

The Cubs are one step closer to knocking off the Cardinals, and they continue to look like something special.

It all started when Starlin Castro led off with a single up the middle. Garcia left the game after the second inning.

Jackson scored and the other runners wound up at second and third. “I was fortunate enough to come in and be able to get us 2 1/3, and then Cahill came in and did outstanding, and Ronnie [Hector Rondon] closed the door”. The bespectacled skipper ordered a safety squeeze. He could have shoveled to home but realized too late that Jackson was charging. Jackson’s stolen base gave Chicago the tying run 90 feet from the plate.

The numbers are growing more ridiculous with each start, and the Chicago Cubs are running out of ways to describe the brilliance of Jake Arrieta. Dexter Fowler followed with a soft single, and Soler slammed him home.

“You can tell he’s been anxious to get in there”, Matheny said. “But they do happen”.

They have made the playoffs 12 times in the last 16 seasons and were NL champions in 2004, 2006, 2011 and 2013. Travis Wood was inserted and pitched two-and-a-third scoreless innings.

In the second inning, St. Louis starting pitcher Jaime Garcia competely unraveled.

Garcia was pulled heading into the third inning. And they are 2-1 in the postseason, counting their victory in the wild-card game Wednesday against the Pirates. He’s yet to face the Cubs this year, though.

“He’s just another pitcher we’ve got to go beat“, Wong said.

What the baseball world will see Monday is the city of Chicago and Wrigley Field pumping the energy.

“We know that first game we did not hit that well and we had to figure out which way to make a few runs”, Rondon said.

They’re not even sure when they’ll bother taking it again.

Hey, when has Maddon ever done anything the conventional way?

“This is what this is all about, ” an unfazed, cheery Rizzo said. “But we want to do this now”.

We’ve all been there, right?