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With victories on Sunday and Monday, the Cardinals ended a string of eight consecutive losses. Despite their recent success, the Cardinals have the National League’s worst record. In addition, there are top-down organizational concerns, making it unclear whether or not this squad will go on its usual midseason tear.
The Cardinals shouldn’t be as bad as they are, at least on paper. While the pitching staff is about league average in anticipated FIP, the offense continues to crush baseball, ranking in the top five in both average Exit Velocity and Hard-Hit rate. Unfortunately, the situation in St. Louis only worsens the further one looks.
St. Louis ranks below average by the majority of defensive metrics and is the second-worst base-running team in baseball. For instance, Willson Contreras, who can rake but has proven to be an ineffective framer and manager, is causing a crisis for the Cardinals at the catching position. Recently, the Cardinals declared that Contreras would solely DH going forward, but they quickly changed their minds.
The Cardinals’ bullpen is their strongest unit, as they are second in the league in terms of predicted FIP for relievers. Their high-leverage personnel are struggling at the most important moments, as evidenced by their low rankings in both Win Probability Added and Clutch. The Cardinals have the most pitch clock infractions (13) of any team in the league, which shows just how horrible the management in this team is.
Let’s check the latest MLB news, stats and MLB expert picks for Cardinals vs Cubs. We’ve plenty of MLB Predictions for you to consider.
On the other hand, the Cubs’ story is an uplifting one. Following the promotion of top prospect Matt Mervis, the offense has plenty of oomph, the defense is in the top 10 in terms of Defensive Runs Saved and Outs Above Average, and the bullpen ranks in the top 10 in terms of anticipated FIP. The Cubs’ 17-17 record is better than many predicted entering the season. How long can Chicago maintain its current pace to have a chance at a Wild Card berth?
Ignore the naysayers and give credit where credit is due. On May 4, he returned off the disabled list and pitched three innings against Washington, allowing three runs (two earned) on three hits and no walks. For the next few starts, he will likely be restricted to a lower pitch count as he works his way back to full strength on the mound.
St. Louis Cardinals vs Chicago Cubs Game Information
- Date: 05/09/2023
- Time: 07:40 PM ET
- Location: Wrigley Field, Chicago, Illinois.
- How to Watch: Cardinals vs Cubs MLB.TV
- Live Stream: MLB.TV
Cardinals vs Cubs Betting Lines
Cardinals are +113 according to our Vegas MLB Lines. This means that if you wager $100 you have the chance to win $113. On the other side, Cubs are -123 according to the Vegas MLB Lines. This means that if you wager $100 you have the chance to win $81.
The implied probability for these two teams attached to the betting lines have Cardinals at a 46.95% chance of winning the game, meanwhile Cubs have 55.16% probability of finishing the game with the W.
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