The St. Louis Cardinals (11-24) will have their work cut out for them against Marcus Stroman at Wrigley Field on Monday when the impressive right-hander takes the mound for the Chicago Cubs (17-17) to open a three-game series.
The Cardinals are playing their first of six games on the road after wrapping up a tough six-game homestand (1-5). They won only one out of three in their last series against the Tigers, taking the finale 12-6 on Sunday at Busch Stadium.
Paul Goldschmidt was 4 for 5 with three home runs, four runs, and four RBIs, extending his on-base streak to 14 games. Brendan Donovan added a home run and three RBIs. The Cubs are in the midst of a six-game homestand.
They won two of three against the Marlins in their last series, dropping the finale 5-4 on Sunday at Wrigley Field. Cody Bellinger went 2 for 5 with a double, one run, and one RBI.
The teams are meeting for the first time this season. The Cardinals dominated the 2022 season series between the NL Central rivals (13-6), including a sweep in their most recent three-game set at Busch Stadium in September.
ON THE MOUND
Miles Mikolas (1-1, 5.79 ERA) is in line to get the start for St. Louis. The RHP allowed three runs over 5.2 innings in his last start, a 6-4 road defeat against the Angels on Wednesday. He gave up eight hits while striking out five in the no-decision.
Over five starts against the Cubs in 2022, Mikolas was 2-1 with a 3.09 ERA over 32 innings. He had 25 strikeouts and seven walks.For Chicago, RHP Stroman (2-2, 2.18 ERA) gets the start.
Stroman made four appearances against the Cardinals in 2022, all as the starter, striking out 19 and walking three over 22.2 innings (0-2, 6.75).
In his last start on Wednesday, Stroman took a no-decision on the road against the Nationals. He threw six innings and gave up one run on five hits, striking out five and walking three in the 2-1 loss.
AT THE PLATE
The St. Louis offense is averaging 4.5 runs per game for the season, with a slash line of .259/.329/.411. Goldschmidt leads the team in OPS at .900. The second baseman is slashing .302/.396/.504 with seven home runs, 20 RBIs, and 22 runs over 34 games.
Over the last five games, though, St. Louis has averaged 6.4 runs a game due in part to improved slugging (.478). Against righties like Stroman this season, the Cards have a .734 OPS. Nolan Gorman is the team’s best performer against right-handers with a .924 OPS in 93 at-bats.
Chicago is slashing .270/.341/.432 for the season and averaging 4.9 runs per game. Bellinger leads the team with a .927 OPS. The right fielder has seven home runs, 19 RBIs, and 28 runs scored with a slash line of .296/.362/.565.
Chicago is averaging only 3.2 runs per game in the last five with their slash line dropping across the board (.232/.288/.288). The Cubs have a .758 OPS against right-handers in 2023. With a 1.093 OPS over 83 at-bats, Ian Happ has been their best hitter against right-handers.
HOME AND AWAY
St. Louis is on a three-game losing streak away from Busch Stadium, bringing their record to 5-11 in 2023. The Cards have scored 3.7 runs per game away from home, while allowing 4.4 runs.
Chicago has gone 10-9 at home this season, averaging 4.8 runs per game while surrendering 4.0. St. Louis is 6-4 in the last 10 games between the teams at Wrigley Field with an average scoreline of 5.5-4.0.
STANDINGS UPDATE
The Cardinals are fifth in the NL Central, 10 games behind the division-leading Pirates. The Cubs are third in the NL Central, two games behind the Pirates.
SportsTips’ MLB Pick:
Chicago Cubs (-130)
Want up to a $1K risk free bet for this pick?
Claim with 
today!
If you need more news, information and predictions, head over to our MLB hub page for all your baseball needs!
*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
