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ST LOUIS ( LACKEY )
CHICAGO CUBS ( HAMMEL ) |
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8.5un
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| NL Division Series - Best of 5 - Game 4 - CHI leads 2-1 | |  | |
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| 931 | ST LOUIS | +105 | Ov 7.5,-125 | +110 | Ov 8,-120 | | 932 | CHICAGO CUBS | -115 | Un 7.5,+105 | -120 | Un 8,+100 |
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| All Games | 102-63 | +24 | 68-86 | 4.0 | 0.252 | 0.314 | 0.395 | 0.709 | 3.2 | 0.246 | 0.307 | 0.369 | 0.675 | | Road Games | 46-36 | +7.4 | 39-39 | 4.1 | 0.243 | 0.304 | 0.391 | 0.695 | 3.4 | 0.246 | 0.314 | 0.377 | 0.691 | | vs Right-handed Starters | 76-45 | +19.5 | 50-62 | 4.0 | 0.254 | 0.316 | 0.401 | 0.717 | 3.1 | 0.244 | 0.303 | 0.368 | 0.671 | | Past 7 Games | 2-6 | -5.2 | 4-4 | 3.2 | 0.200 | 0.252 | 0.388 | 0.640 | 4.4 | 0.259 | 0.319 | 0.478 | 0.797 | | Grass Games | 102-63 | +24 | 68-86 | 4.0 | 0.252 | 0.314 | 0.395 | 0.709 | 3.2 | 0.246 | 0.307 | 0.369 | 0.675 | | Day Games | 29-22 | -0.1 | 18-31 | 3.5 | 0.244 | 0.304 | 0.389 | 0.693 | 3.4 | 0.242 | 0.313 | 0.368 | 0.682 | | Division | 48-31 | +9.7 | 38-38 | 4.0 | 0.244 | 0.306 | 0.383 | 0.689 | 3.4 | 0.243 | 0.308 | 0.370 | 0.678 | | Playoff games | 1-1 | 0 | 1-1 | 5.0 | 0.212 | 0.246 | 0.455 | 0.701 | 4.0 | 0.262 | 0.338 | 0.590 | 0.928 |
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| All Games | 4.0 | 0.252 | 0.314 | 165 | 5582 | 1405 | 293 | 38 | 144 | 0.395 | 631 | 509 | 1300 | 69 | 1164 | 156 | 97 | 162 | 54 | | Road Games | 4.1 | 0.243 | 0.304 | 82 | 2848 | 692 | 144 | 20 | 79 | 0.391 | 323 | 250 | 702 | 37 | 577 | 74 | 48 | 87 | 27 | | Righty Starters | 4.0 | 0.254 | 0.316 | 121 | 4073 | 1033 | 233 | 30 | 103 | 0.401 | 456 | 369 | 927 | 46 | 860 | 107 | 72 | 114 | 37 |
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| All Games | 2.82 | 1.289 | 497.4 | 176 | 156 | 452 | 42 | 189 | 483 | 28-20 | 62 | 14 | 81.6% | | Road Games | 3.17 | 1.352 | 233 | 93 | 82 | 208 | 23 | 107 | 250 | 10-12 | 27 | 7 | 79.4% |
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| All Games | 100-66 | +19.2 | 74-83 | 4.3 | 0.243 | 0.314 | 0.399 | 0.714 | 3.7 | 0.232 | 0.284 | 0.372 | 0.656 | | Home Games | 50-32 | +4.2 | 35-44 | 4.1 | 0.238 | 0.316 | 0.404 | 0.720 | 3.8 | 0.231 | 0.282 | 0.380 | 0.662 | | vs Right-handed Starters | 79-52 | +13.8 | 58-66 | 4.4 | 0.247 | 0.317 | 0.411 | 0.728 | 3.7 | 0.228 | 0.281 | 0.363 | 0.644 | | Past 7 Games | 6-1 | +5.2 | 2-4 | 4.0 | 0.239 | 0.317 | 0.425 | 0.742 | 2.1 | 0.152 | 0.179 | 0.290 | 0.469 | | Grass Games | 100-66 | +19.2 | 74-83 | 4.3 | 0.243 | 0.314 | 0.399 | 0.714 | 3.7 | 0.232 | 0.284 | 0.372 | 0.656 | | Day Games | 39-30 | -0.8 | 32-33 | 4.1 | 0.233 | 0.306 | 0.382 | 0.688 | 3.7 | 0.238 | 0.286 | 0.392 | 0.678 | | Division | 49-31 | +13 | 36-38 | 4.3 | 0.254 | 0.326 | 0.403 | 0.729 | 3.8 | 0.228 | 0.281 | 0.359 | 0.639 | | Playoff games | 2-1 | +1 | 1-2 | 4.0 | 0.247 | 0.314 | 0.527 | 0.841 | 3.3 | 0.187 | 0.212 | 0.354 | 0.566 |
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| All Games | 4.3 | 0.243 | 0.314 | 166 | 5616 | 1367 | 274 | 31 | 180 | 0.399 | 676 | 580 | 1557 | 99 | 1184 | 128 | 114 | 122 | 137 | | Home Games | 4.1 | 0.238 | 0.316 | 82 | 2646 | 631 | 112 | 16 | 98 | 0.404 | 320 | 298 | 726 | 44 | 566 | 64 | 52 | 52 | 82 | | Righty Starters | 4.4 | 0.247 | 0.317 | 131 | 4450 | 1097 | 212 | 27 | 156 | 0.411 | 547 | 456 | 1202 | 80 | 927 | 104 | 93 | 97 | 122 |
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| All Games | 3.37 | 1.220 | 523 | 226 | 196 | 455 | 44 | 183 | 519 | 38-26 | 49 | 19 | 72.1% | | Home Games | 3.49 | 1.199 | 278.7 | 124 | 108 | 244 | 30 | 90 | 284 | 24-11 | 20 | 10 | 66.7% |
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| 9/30/2015 | WACHA(R) | @ PITTSBURGH | COLE(R) | 2-8 | L | 145 | 6.5 un | O | 8 | 5 | 1 | 9 | 6 | 0 | | 9/30/2015 | LYONS(L) | @ PITTSBURGH | MORTON(R) | 11-1 | W | 115 | 7.5 un | O | 12 | 8 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 0 | | 10/2/2015 | GARCIA(L) | @ ATLANTA | TEHERAN(R) | 0-4 | L | -120 | 6.5 un | U | 5 | 8 | 2 | 9 | 12 | 0 | | 10/4/2015 | LACKEY(R) | @ ATLANTA | MILLER(R) | 0-6 | L | -145 | 7 un | U | 3 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 2 | | 10/4/2015 | LYNN(R) | @ ATLANTA | WISLER(R) | 0-2 | L | -135 | 7.5 un | U | 4 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 6 | 0 | | 10/9/2015 | LACKEY(R) | CHICAGO CUBS | LESTER(L) | 4-0 | W | -110 | 6.5 un | U | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | | 10/10/2015 | GARCIA(L) | CHICAGO CUBS | HENDRICKS(R) | 3-6 | L | -135 | 6.5 ov | O | 6 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 0 | | 10/12/2015 | WACHA(R) | @ CHICAGO CUBS | ARRIETA(R) | 6-8 | L | 187 | 7.5 un | O | 8 | 6 | 0 | 13 | 7 | 1 | | 10/13/2015 | LACKEY(R) | @ CHICAGO CUBS | HAMMEL(R) | |
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| 9/29/2015 | HAREN(R) | @ CINCINNATI | SMITH(R) | 4-1 | W | -135 | 8.5 ov | U | 8 | 13 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | | 9/30/2015 | LESTER(L) | @ CINCINNATI | DESCLAFANI(R) | 10-3 | W | -155 | 7 ov | O | 16 | 9 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | | 10/1/2015 | HAMMEL(R) | @ CINCINNATI | LAMB(L) | 5-3 | W | -115 | 7.5 un | O | 8 | 5 | 2 | 12 | 9 | 0 | | 10/2/2015 | ARRIETA(R) | @ MILWAUKEE | PENA(R) | 6-1 | W | -235 | 7 ov | P | 10 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 2 | | 10/3/2015 | HENDRICKS(R) | @ MILWAUKEE | WAGNER(R) | 1-0 | W | -190 | 8 ev | U | 8 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | | 10/4/2015 | HAREN(R) | @ MILWAUKEE | LOPEZ(R) | 3-1 | W | -130 | 8 ov | U | 7 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | | 10/7/2015 | ARRIETA(R) | @ PITTSBURGH | COLE(R) | 4-0 | W | -125 | 5.5 un | U | 7 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 1 | | 10/9/2015 | LESTER(L) | @ ST LOUIS | LACKEY(R) | 0-4 | L | 100 | 6.5 un | U | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 0 | | 10/10/2015 | HENDRICKS(R) | @ ST LOUIS | GARCIA(L) | 6-3 | W | 125 | 6.5 ov | O | 6 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 1 | | 10/12/2015 | ARRIETA(R) | ST LOUIS | WACHA(R) | 8-6 | W | -205 | 7.5 un | O | 13 | 7 | 1 | 8 | 6 | 0 | | 10/13/2015 | HAMMEL(R) | ST LOUIS | LACKEY(R) | |
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| |  | ST LOUIS: ST. LOUIS (AP) - The Cardinals hope Michael Wacha is ready to stand alongside ace Adam Wainwright at the top of their rotation.
Wacha was the NL Championship Series MVP as a rookie but just 5-6 with a 3.20 ERA in 19 starts last year. He was sidelined for most of the season's second half by a stress reaction in his shoulder, and was rusty in October before giving up Travis Ishikawa's series-winning homer in Game 5 of the NLCS.
Now he feels healthy.
''It's very encouraging, the long term of what this kid could be and the short term of how he feels, somebody every fifth day that can bring the kind of stuff he does,'' St. Louis manager Mike Matheny said. ''He feels good about himself and we feel good about what we're seeing.''
The 23-year-old Wacha has long insisted the injury is behind him.
''Ever since I came back last year, I haven't thought about it when I was on the mound,'' Wacha said. ''As far as I know, it was a rare injury. I'm not sure where it came from.''
If it stays away, the Cardinals figure to again have one of the deeper starting staffs despite trading 15-game winner Shelby Miller for outfielder Jason Heyward. Wainwright was a 20-game winner for the second time, and Lance Lynn has averaged 16 wins during three years in the rotation.
John Lackey is a proven late-season talent. Jaime Garcia's resurgent spring following surgery to relieve nerve compression may cause promising Carlos Martinez to be related to the bullpen again.
Lackey expects to be more comfortable in his first full NL season, saying ''It's different for a lot of reasons.''
Things to watch for with the Cardinals, who open April 5 at Chicago:
LEFT-HANDED HEAVY
There are five lefty bats in the lineup, a potential downside. But there also figures to be more power on the bench. Mark Reynolds, who has hit 20 or more homers each of the last seven seasons, was signed as a free agent. He could factor in as a semi-regular, especially at first base, where Matt Adams has struggled against lefties.
HEYWARD TIME
Only 25, Heyward is a potential future core member of the franchise. His is eligible for free agency after the World Series, and the wooing began not long after the trade with Atlanta - which also brought set-up man Jordan Walden.
''He fits in very well with how our guys work, how seriously they take the game,'' Matheny said. ''He's mixed in very well to this point.''
IMPROVED POP
St. Louis hit just 105 homers last season, second-fewest in the majors. They Cardianls are anticipating more out of right field from Heyward, who had a career-low 11 last year while forced into the leadoff spot with Atlanta. Jhonny Peralta followed his drug suspension with a 21 homers, a franchise record among shortstops, and the smooth-swinging Adams is capable of hitting a lot more than 15.
HEALTHY CHOICES
A full return by Garcia would be an unexpected bonus after two injury-filled seasons. Wainwright and Lynn are recovering from health setbacks early in spring training. Center fielder Jon Jay made a delayed exhibition debut following wrist surgery. ''I said the whole goal was to be ready April 5,'' Jay said.
MORE SPEED
Along with increasing the power profile, there will be an emphasis on manufacturing runs. The Cardinals stole 57 bases last year, third-fewest in the major leagues, but are primed for at least a little more thievery with both Wong and Heyward capable of swiping 20-plus.
''I want to see bigger leads. I want to see more aggressive chances with balls in the dirt,'' Matheny said. ''I want to see us take a first-and-second double steal because we have the kind of players to do that.'' | | CHICAGO CUBS: CHICAGO (AP) - Standing in the shade on a beautiful afternoon in Arizona, Jon Lester embraced the question that hovers over the Chicago Cubs these days.
When it comes to all those highly touted prospects, Lester said the time is now.
''When I played in Boston, we didn't have time to grow up,'' the left-hander explained. ''You just had to show up and play, and each year you're expected to win, so that's how I feel. Every year they should come in and expect to be not only division winners, but World Series champions. If you don't have that mindset, then I think you're playing for the wrong reasons.''
Heady stuff for a franchise known mostly for futility, but the Cubs think it's a new era after five consecutive losing seasons.
The shift in thinking for president of baseball operations Theo Epstein and the rest of the front office was evident during an aggressive offseason that included the addition of Joe Maddon after the veteran manager opted out of his contract with Tampa Bay, and a $155 million, six-year contract to add Lester.
The hiring of Maddon meant dumping Rick Renteria after just one year, and Lester's deal is a significant investment for a pitcher who turned 31 in January. But looking at their good young core and rich minor league system, the Cubs felt it was time to act.
''There's a lot of talent here. Now it's about executing,'' Lester said. ''It's going out and playing good baseball for six months. It's hard to do. But that's why we're here. We're going to figure it out as we go.''
The Cubs, who also acquired center fielder Dexter Fowler and catcher Miguel Montero in trades, should be much improved after their 73-89 finish in 2014. But going from last place to the playoffs could depend more on the development of Chicago's top prospects than its newest players.
Jorge Soler takes over in right field after making his major league debut in August and drawing raves for his approach at the plate in the season's final month. Javier Baez, Arismendy Alcantara and Kris Bryant - all 20-something position players with considerable potential - also are key to the Cubs' chance for a breakthrough.
''You don't really read enough about their personalities and their makeup. That to me makes them real prospects,'' Maddon said. ''There's a lot of guys who throw 95 mph and hit balls out of sight. But with the makeup, personality and character ... that's what really turns me on to this group.''
Here are a few more things to watch with the Cubs:
UNDER THE RADAR: Jake Arrieta was a pleasant surprise, finishing with a 10-5 record and a sparkling 2.53 ERA in 25 starts last year. He struck out 167 in 156 2-3 innings and allowed just five homers.
Arrieta, 29, began last season on the disabled list with right shoulder tightness but looked healthy this spring and could team with Lester to give Chicago a potent top of the rotation.
''There's always room to improve. There's always things to get better at,'' Arrieta said. ''There's a right way to go about doing that, and I think that there's some things that I can clean up and kind of use in regard to what I did last season to make it even better.''
AT THE PLATE: The Cubs struck out a major league-high 1,477 times last season, and their .300 on-base percentage was 28th among 30 teams. They had six players with at least 100 strikeouts.
The addition of Fowler, who had a .375 on-base percentage last season with Houston, should help the top of the order, and the pressure is on new hitting coach John Mallee to help Baez and the other young hitters make more consistent contact.
IN THE DUGOUT: Maddon is one of the game's most creative managers, and the move to the NL and one of the game's most quirky ballparks in Wrigley Field could lead to all sorts of different lineups. He could put the pitcher in the eighth slot in the lineup in some situations. Pretty much everything is on the table when it comes to Maddon.
IN THE FIELD: The majors' second-oldest ballpark is undergoing a major renovation that could affect its notoriously fickle wind, which can turn innocent fly balls into homers and long drives into outs. A massive new videoboard is expected to be in place by opening day, but the bleachers will be under construction for the first part of the season. How the work on the ballpark affects the  the field remains to be seen. |
| | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PA SPORTSTICKER NL PREVIEW (ST LOUIS-CHICAGO CUBS) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Cardinals-Cubs Preview* ========================
St. Louis (100-62) at Chicago (97-65), 4:37 p.m. EDT
St. Louis Cardinals starter John Lackey has mowed down the Chicago Cubs in four starts this year, including Game 1 of this NL division series.
He has had only three days in between starts in the postseason twice in his career, and the first time was an occasion that thrilled Chicago manager Joe Maddon.
Lackey will try to help the visiting Cardinals force a decisive fifth game by stifling a red-hot Chicago lineup Tuesday at Wrigley Field.
The right-hander pitched 7 1-3 innings of two-hit ball Friday to earn a 4-0 victory in the opener, improving to 3-0 with a 0.93 ERA in four overall starts against the Cubs in 2015.
The Cardinals haven't won since, falling to the brink of elimination after Monday's 8-6 defeat in Game 3. St. Louis has advanced from this round each of the four previous years, rallying from 2-1 series deficits against Philadelphia in 2011 and Pittsburgh in 2013.
Lackey is 2-0 with a 2.42 ERA in four postseason starts on three days' rest, with two of those outings following a start. The first was Game 7 of the 2002 World Series, as he gave up one run in five innings to earn a 4-1 win for Anaheim over San Francisco.
The Angels' bench coach at the time was Maddon.
"I want to win championships. I want to be on good teams," said Lackey, who has won four straight division series outings. "Got a chance here, still, and try to keep it moving."
Maddon will pencil in a lineup that will have many of the players who combined for a postseason record six homers Monday. Jorge Soler went deep for the second straight game and Kris Bryant, Kyle Schwarber, Anthony Rizzo, Dexter Fowler and Starlin Castro also all connected.
"Pretty impressive," Maddon said. "You know, I know the wind was blowing out - we'll concede that - but most of them were properly struck. We are definitely capable of that."
Soler has set a major league record by reaching base in his first nine career postseason at-bats, going 4 for 4 with five walks. He is 4 for 8 with three doubles versus Lackey.
The Cubs are unsure whether shortstop Addison Russell will play after he left in the fourth inning with tightness in his left hamstring after legging out a triple, with Javier Baez replacing him. Russell is 3 for 9 off Lackey while Baez is 0 for 8.
"It feels fine now so we're just going to have to wait, see how it goes overnight," Russell said.
Lackey has not allowed a homer against Chicago in 29 innings in 2015. Fowler, Bryant, Castro and Rizzo combined to go 7 for 46 against him this year.
How the wind is blowing will be a factor for both starters, though Chicago's Jason Hammel insists he isn't concerned.
"I know that most of the time you come out here and check out the wind, see what the flags are doing what you get out there, but I could care less," Hammel said. "I'm not going to treat it any differently than another start, whether the wind is blowing in or not."
Hammel is 0-1 with a 4.80 ERA in three career postseason starts. His last playoff appearance was last year's AL wild-card game as he allowed the only batter he faced, Kansas City's Salvador Perez, to hit a game-winning single in the 12th inning of Oakland's 9-8 defeat.
The right-hander went 10-7 with a 3.74 ERA in 31 starts this year, including 1-1 with a 5.73 ERA in three versus St. Louis.
He'll get a break if he doesn't have to face Yadier Molina, who is 6 for 13 with three doubles against him. Molina exited early Monday due to aggravating the strained ligament in his left thumb that caused him to miss the last part of the regular season.
"Let's see what they can do, see if they can once again support that thumb in a way that he can continue to play and just see if maybe getting him out a little early can help us as we move forward," manager Mike Matheny said.
Jason Heyward, who homered Monday, is 9 for 18 off Hammel and Jhonny Peralta is 9 for 23 with two homers.
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| | Last Updated: 4/27/2024 2:09:01 AM EST. |
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