Gray Will Stop Cubs Rejuvenated Offense

Cubs vs. Cardinals, 8:15 ET

There aren't too many great rivalries left in sports. The Yankees and Red Sox will always be one. Celtics and Lakers would be another that will like always last. I'm sure there are others in other sports, but realistically, there are very few that are nationally known. For example, the Bears have a rivalry with the Packers, but outside of Chicago I don't think anyone would consider it a rivalry - especially with how one-sided it has been. The Cubs and Cardinals should come to mind as a rivalry, and while it doesn't have the luster of some of the national ones, there is a little extra something that goes into these games. 

The Cubs probably fall closer to the category of the Bears and the Packers would be the Cardinals in this analogy. The Cubs have won one World Series in the past 100+ years. The Cardinals have won 11 World Series championships and 19 pennants. So, to say they have a leg up on the Cubs is a bit of an understatement. This season once again looks like a moment in time when we will remember the Cardinals getting the best of the Cubs. Chicago came into the season with expectations that they would make the playoffs. The front office was doing almost everything except admitting that they would sell pieces of their club as recently as about two weeks ago. They had a good series against the Orioles, and are playing good baseball for the first time in two months. Now they are looking to gain ground on a division rival. That starts tonight as they send out Kyle Hendricks to the hill. This hasn't been a great season for Hendricks as he has been relegated to the bullpen and brought back into the starting rotation due to injury. He may be battling some of his own injury as he was removed after two innings in his most recent start. He struggled in the start prior to that as well, going just 3.2 innings and allowing seven earned runs to the Brewers. He did face the Cardinals once this season and it was probably his best start of the year. He went 4.1 scoreless innings and allowed just two hits. Overall, he has been good against the Cardinals, holding them to a .230 average in 222 at-bats with six total homers allowed, three to Nolan Arenado, and three to Matt Carpenter. 

Jun 30, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA;  Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks (28) gets ready to pitch against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

The Cardinals were bad for one season and have looked like they are going to turn it around quickly. The team struggled significantly to start the year, but they are now above .500 and playing some of the best baseball they have played in a couple of years. The team struggled both offensively and with their pitching staff last year, but this season the pitching has significantly improved, and they probably will try to add an arm at the deadline. They are still close to a 4.00 ERA, but that is better than what was happening last year. The offense is hitting .244, which is good, but they aren't scoring a ton of runs - they actually have fewer than the Cubs. If the runs start coming in and the hits start stringing together, the Cardinals could be a very tough team to beat. Tonight, they get one of their offseason additions, Sonny Gray to take the hill. Gray is 9-5 with a 3.30 ERA, which is good for 25th in baseball, and a 1.04 WHIP, which is 12th in the league. He has been spectacular in St. Louis as the Cardinals right-hander is 6-3 with a 1.90 ERA on his home mound. He faced the Cubs once this season, it was a home start, and he went five scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and two walks while striking out eight. Overall, Cubs hitters are hitting .239 against Gray. 

This is a game the Cardinals should be well positioned to win. Gray on his home mound has been excellent, and Hendricks is probably still battling injury. If he isn't it might not matter. He has pitched poorly this season, and if he is injured that means the Cardinals can face the bad Cubs bullpen. I'm going to take the Cardinals to win this game on the runline through five innings as I don't trust the Cardinals bullpen all that much either. 

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