Central STL News

ST. LOUIS -- The Cardinals and Cubs are set to renew their longstanding rivalry, a contest that hasn't occurred this late in the MLB season since 1997. Back then, Fernando Valenzuela pitched for St. Louis in a 3-0 loss. Despite changes over the years, the rivalry remains intense.

Both teams have kept their pitching strategies under wraps for the series beyond Monday's opener and Tuesday's game at Busch Stadium. “We’ll prepare the same way, but I’m looking forward to this series, for sure,” stated Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol after his team's five-game winning streak ended with a 4-1 defeat against the Reds.

This series marks an unusual schedule twist as the Cardinals have faced every other National League Central team before meeting the Cubs. They've also played 33 games against American League teams with a 16-17 record. Notably, they recently swept the White Sox in Chicago before facing their division rivals.

Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar remarked on the timing: “I was thinking about it the other day... We’ve played home and away series against Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and Milwaukee, and we haven’t played the Cubs yet.” He added that playing against the Cubs is always engaging due to heightened stakes.

The Cardinals were unable to sweep another series or close in on first-place Cubs after losing to the Reds. Pitcher Andrew Abbott limited them to three hits and one run over seven innings amidst high temperatures at Busch Stadium.

Currently standing at 42-36, St. Louis trails Chicago (46-31) by 4 1/2 games in NL Central standings. Pitcher Miles Mikolas hopes direct competition with Chicago will help reduce that gap: “These are fun games... hopefully there’s more red [in the stands].” He encouraged fans to support by attending games during this midweek series.

Manager Marmol appreciates starting this rivalry at home where his team holds a strong record of 24-15 this season: "Our [offensive] production has actually been higher at Busch than on road." Emphasizing adaptation rather than power-hitting strategy helps navigate Busch Stadium’s challenges effectively without sacrificing performance overall; as demonstrated during Saturday's extra-inning victory over Cincinnati when timely hitting secured success despite trailing earlier on within regulation playtime limits.