Who has the edge in Cardinals-Cubs NLDS?
Offense
If you’re looking for a lineup full of young talent, head to the North Side of Chicago where Kris Bryant, Kyle Schwarber and Addison Russell play for the Cubs. While Bryant (26 home runs, 99 RBIs) is the likely rookie of the year winner, it’s first baseman Anthony Rizzo (31 home runs, 101 RBIs) who makes the offense go. The Cardinals aren’t nearly as dynamic on offense. TCU ex Matt Carpenter (28 home runs, 84 RBIs) led the team in all power categories, and catcher Yadier Molina is dinged up with a bad thumb and could be limited. Advantage: Cubs
Pitching
The best news for the Cardinals came Wednesday when Chicago ace and TCU ex Jake Arrieta started the wild-card win. That means the Cardinals likely only have to face him in Game 3. The Cubs can rely on playoff veteran Jon Lester for two starts if needed, but he’s no Arrieta. St. Louis has a playoff vet in John Lackey (7 postseason wins), who starts the opener. The rotation took a hit late in the season when it lost its most dynamic starter in Carlos Martinez. The back end of the bullpen is stout with closer Trevor Rosenthal (48 saves) and setup man Kevin Siegrist (2.17 ERA). Chicago closer Hector Rondon is solid and the Cubs have two ex-Rangers (Justin Grimm, Pedro Strop) they use late in games. Advantage: Even
Intangibles
The Cardinals had the best record in baseball but are banged up. All signs point to this being a Cubs kind of series. There are no playoff jitters for a young team after beating Pittsburgh in the wild-card game. Remember, Back to the Future 2 predicted the Cubs would win the World Series in 2015. Advantage: Cubs
Prediction: Cubs in five. While the Cardinals won the season series and the division, the Cubs still had the third-most wins in baseball. If the Cards were at 100 percent, they’d have the edge. They’re not, so the magic lives on for another series.
Schedule
Game 1: 5:30 p.m. Friday, St. Louis (TBS)
Game 2: 4:30 p.m. Saturday, St. Louis (TBS)
Game 3: TBA, Monday, Chicago (TBS)
Game 4: (if necessary) TBA, Tuesday, Chicago (TBS)
Game 5: (if necessary), TBA, Oct. 15, St. Louis (TBS)
This story was originally published October 8, 2015 at 2:56 PM with the headline "Who has the edge in Cardinals-Cubs NLDS?."