The Chicago Cubs were one of baseball’s best teams during the regular season, and they proved why in a 4-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates in the National League Wild Card Game.
Even with their first postseason victory in 12 years under their belts, the Cubs don’t have much time to rest on their laurels, as they look at an even more formidable foe: the St. Louis Cardinals.
For the first time in history, the two teams will meet in the pressure-packed world of October baseball, and both teams have legitimate championship aspirations. The Cubs boast a young lineup stocked with sluggers and defensive standouts, and their 1-2 punch of Jon Lester and Jake Arrieta provides a stern test for any team.
Meanwhile, the Cardinals have persevered through a slew of injuries this season and come out on the other side battle-tested and ready, winning yet another NL Central title and earning themselves four days of rest before they battle the Cubs beginning on Friday afternoon at Busch Stadium.
Unlike the NL wild card game, the National League Division Series is a best-of-five affair, but not one that the Cubs have fared well in recently. They did win the 2003 NLDS against the Atlanta Braves, their only postseason series win since the 1908 World Series, but they were swept out of the NLDS in consecutive appearances in the 2007 and 2008 seasons, courtesy of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers, respectively.
On the other side of the diamond, the Cardinals have made the playoffs in each of the past five seasons, and they’ve advanced past the NLDS in the first four appearances. In 2011 they knocked off the Philadelphia Phillies to advance, and then knocked off the Washington Nationals in thrilling fashion in 2012. The Pirates were the Cardinals’ next victims in 2013, and last season the Redbirds knocked off the Dodgers before eventually falling in the NLCS.
Even with all of that postseason success for the Cardinals, the Cubs still have reason to feel optimistic. Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina is still dealing with the after-effects of a torn ligament in his catching hand (suffered in a game against the Cubs at Wrigley Field), and he may not play in the series. The Cardinals have also lost several other key players, including pitcher Carlos Martinez, so they’ll still be playing somewhat short-handed when the series begins Friday.
The Cardinals have gotten a bit healthier, however, as pitcher Adam Wainwright has rejoined the team as a reliever after missing nearly the entire regular season. Outfielder Stephen Piscotty is also back in the mix after he was injured in a horrifying outfield collision late in the campaign.
If the Cubs are able to advance (and they are a slight 51.6 percent favorite to do so, according to Five Thirty Eight’s ELO ratings), then they would not only become the third wild card team in four seasons to get to the NLCS, but they would advance to that series for the first time in 12 years. If they make it there, they would have to face either the New York Mets or the Los Angeles Dodgers, and they would once again have to begin the series on the road, as division winners take precedence for home-field advantage.
