Louis Cardinals: who should start Game 4?

Javier Baez will take over at shortstop and bat ninth for the Cubs. Chicago leads series 2-1.

(BaseballStL) – Chicago blasted 10 home runs in three games to take the NLDS from the Cardinals.

There are no more questions about Adam Wainwright – the guy has done it, he’s returned from a ruptured left Achilles’ tendon injury and he’s pitched effectively in postseason play (well, OK, in two of his three appearances). All of the five runs scored in the inning were unearned.

And had Martinez been in the rotation, the Cardinals wouldn’t have moved up Lackey to start Game 4 on three days’ rest.

“This is a team that was as impressive to watch from day one as any team I’ve ever been around”, he said.

Starlin Castro led off the inning with a base hit, followed up by a sure double play being mishandled and thrown offline to first base by second baseman Kolten Wong, which allowed Austin Jackson to get to second base.

To get a front-end starter like Carlos Carrasco (Cleveland Indians) or Tyson Ross (San Diego Padres) at the July 31 trade deadline, the Cubs probably would have had to give up Baez as a starting point in either deal.

Jason Heyward singled. Jhonny Peralta singled. He slammed his third homer of the postseason in the seventh inning, a solo shot to right field that put the Cubs ahead for good at 5-4.

NOTES: Cardinals C Yadier Molina was a late scratch Tuesday due to a sore thumb. Both managers were treating this one like an elimination game, though it only was that for Mike Matheny’s team. Maddon also reasoned Russell wouldn’t have walked off the field in the fourth inning of Monday’s Game 3 win – after hustling for a triple – if he didn’t feel something. Shortstop Addison Russell is out of the lineup after he left Game 3 with tightness in his left hamstring.

That was on display in Game 3, as the Cubs got an uncharacteristic outing from ace Jake Arrieta and still won comfortably. He didn’t, though he later said that if Montero had reached base, Tommy La Stella might have pinch-hit.