The first-ever postseason series between the archrival St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs will begin on Friday afternoon at Busch Stadium and has the potential to be one of the most exciting playoff matchups since Major League Baseball began the Wild Card era of the postseason in 1995. The Cubs earned the right to play the NL Central champion Cardinals on Wednesday night by defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park in the one-game Wild Card series.
Besides the obvious intrigue of the rivalry taking place in the postseason, Friday’s game will also be notable because two former Boston Red Sox teammates and good friends,Jon LesterandJohn Lackey–who were close to the pointwhere they were publicly outed for frequently drinking beer, eating fried chicken, and playing video gameswith teammateJosh Beckettin the clubhouse during games–will be facing each other as the starting pitchers for Game 1.
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Lackey and Lester have had slightly different arcs to their respective seasons. Lester came into Chicago this offseason and was expected to be the unquestioned ace of the Cubs’ remodeled staff. However, a 4-8 record, 3.59 ERA, and 1.26 WHIP, along with a very publicized issue with picking off runners at first base, led to him having a slightly underwhelming first half. He was much better after the All-Star break, going 7-4 with a 3.04 ERA and 0.96 WHIP, but he couldn’t ascend back to the ace role, asJake Arrietasurprisingly emerged as the frontrunner for the NLCy YoungAward, going 22-6 with a 1.77 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, and .185 opponent batting average to finish the season. Arrieta started in the Cubs’ victory over Pittsburgh, so Lester will get the nod on Friday.
Lackey was by no means the ace of the Cardinals’ staff to begin the season, but thanks to injuries that knockedAdam WainwrightandCarlos Martinezout of the rotation and some late-season struggles byMichael Wachaand, to a lesser extent,Jaime Garcia, Lackey gets the nod as the Cardinals get their postseason run started. After yielding a 1.78 ERA through five starts in September, it’s clear that he has the most momentum as October gets underway.
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- St. Louis Cardinals release RHP Corey Baker from organization
- St. Louis Cardinals activate Kolten Wong and Kevin Siegrist from DL, option Luke Weaver and Alex Mejia to Triple-A
Here’s some key info as you follow along with Friday’s NLDS kickoff:
Where:Busch Stadium, St. Louis, MO
When:5:30 PM, Friday, October 9, 2015
Starting Pitchers:Jon Lester (CHI) vs.John Lackey(STL)
TV Broadcast:The entire NLDS between the Cardinals and Cubs will be broadcast on TBS. The team of play-by-play announcerBrian Anderson, color commentatorsDennis EckersleyandJoe Simpson, and sideline reporter Matt Winer will call the action.
Radio Broadcast:The game will be broadcast on ESPN Radio. Dan Shulman ofSunday Night Baseballfame will call play-by-play withAaron Booneas the color commentator.
Live Stream:MLB.tv
Stay tuned atarchauthority.comand at@ArchAuthorityFSon Twitter for all the latest updates.
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