Cubs vs. Cardinals: Series Thread (Games 63-65)

The Cubs return from a challenging 7-game road trip to take on the Cardinals on home turf. The Cardinals come in trailing the tied Cubs and Brewers by 3 games in the division. The Cubs continue to labor without Trevor Williams and now Adbert Alzolay--the matchups you'll find below are my best guess at the probables.

Game 63, Friday, June 11, 1:20 pm central

CHC: RHP Kyle Hendricks (7-4, 4.59 ERA) Kohl Stewart (1-1, 3.12 ERA)

STL: RHP Johan Oviedo (0-2, 5.25 ERA)

Hendricks has won 5 in a row going back to his May 16 win in Detroit. Last time out, he went 6.1 and allowed 3 earned runs in San Francisco. On May 21, he went 6.2 and allowed 3 runs, one earned, to the Cardinals. Stewart allowed 5 earned runs in the opening game before the Cubs came back to win the slugfest.

The 23-year-old Oviedo will be facing the Cubs for the first time in 2021. He went 0-1 against the Cubs in 2020, allowing five earned runs in 9.2 innings. Last time out, he went four innings against the Reds and allowed two earned runs while striking out four.

Game 64, Saturday, June 12, 6:15 pm central

CHC: RHP Kohl Stewart (1-1, 3.12 ERA) Kyle Hendricks (7-4, 4.59 ERA)

STL: RHP John Gant (4-3, 2.63 ERA)

Hendricks has won 5 in a row going back to his May 16 win in Detroit. Last time out, he went 6.1 and allowed 3 earned runs in San Francisco. On May 21, he went 6.2 and allowed 3 runs, one earned, to the Cardinals.

John Gant is back in a starting role for the first time since 2018. He's gotten surprisingly good results compared to his peripherals; he has a strikeout to walk ratio of nearly one-to-one. He allowed seven earned runs in four innings to Cincinnati in his last start.

Game 65, Sunday, June 13, 6:08 pm central

CHC: RHP Zach Davies (3-3, 4.45 ERA)

STL: RHP Carlos Martinez (3-6, 6.21 ERA)

Davies most recent start was his second longest and possibly his best of the 2021 season. He went six innings, allowed zero earned runs, and struck out four while allowing only one hit. He faced the Cardinals on May 23, when he pitched five scoreless innings.

Martinez took a no-decision on his previous matchup with the Cubs, allowing two earned runs in six innings on May 21. His last two starts have inflated his ERA quite a bit--he gave up seven earned runs in 0.2 innings pitched to the Dodgers and five earned runs in four innings pitched to Cleveland. He did notch a season high seven strikeouts in that loss to Cleveland.