OK....After getting to poke fun at my Chicago friends for a day it's time to get serious about the playoffs. The Cubs are like getting a shiny new toy for Xmas. Everyone is all happy and gaga and thinks it's the greatest thing there is. The Cardinals are like the lego blocks of the toy world. After a short while the new rubs off and everyone goes back to the long lasting dependable lego blocks. One thing that is important in a playoff series is experience and the only team close to as much experience as the Cardinals is the Giants, and this is a odd year so they aren't in it. The ONLY thing that the Cubs have over the Cardinals is Arrieta and he can only give them one game if that. The Cardinals won the most games in baseball and took the season series 11-8, they ranked #1 in pitching while the Cubs are #3. #3 in bullpen era while the Cubs are #8. #12 in hitting at .253 while the Cubs were #29 at .244. Even with all of that the #1 edge that the Cardinals have over every other playoff team is Yadier Molina to handle their pitching staff. NO ONE does it better and he's had a ton of experience duing it in the playoffs. This should be a very good series but putting emotion aside getting the Cardinals at -105 for the series is a steal.
4* ST. LOUIS -105 (the series)
GM 1
John Lester takes the mound for Chicago. He will be making his 13th start and 15th appearance in the postseason. He actually pitched better on the road (.292) than at home (3.60). Lester was just 1-3 with one no-decision against the Cards despite a respectable 2.59 ERA and 9.8 strikeouts per nine innings in those five starts. It's worth noting that the Cards swiped 12 percent of their total stolen bases this season off Lester.
The Cardinals will start John Lacky. This will be Lacky's 19 post season start. His 3.08 postseason ERA in 117 innings is better than his 3.92 career ERA in 2,481 1/3 innings. Among teams he faced multiple times this season, he fared better against the Cubs (1.25 ERA) than any other club. He was 9-4 with a 1.93 era at home this year. Not only do we get a pitcher who's great at home but we get a team that has a 50-26 record at home this year and is 80-33 in their last 113 home game. All for the ridiculous price of -104. Thank you Cub backers for letting that brand new toy blind you.
4* ST. LOUIS -104