St. Louis Cardinals (40-33) vs Chicago Cubs (27-44)
Saturday, June 25, 2022 at 2:15 pm
My selection is on St. Louis over Chicago at 2:15 pm et on Saturday.
The Cardinals were shut out in last night's series-opener against the Cubs - their second consecutive loss. I look for them to bounce back on Saturday as they have the right pitcher on the mound in Miles Mikolas. The right-hander has posted a 3.51 FIP and 0.97 WHIP this season, yielding only 2.84 runs per nine innings. In 10 career starts against Chicago, Mikolas has posted a 2.70 ERA and 0.80 WHIP. You would have to go back four starts to find the last time the Cubs defeated the Cards with Mikolas starting, back in July 2019. Interestingly, his counterpart on that night was Kyle Hendricks, who of course locked down the Cards in last night's shutout victory. Adrian Sampson will get a spot start for Chicago after an effective extended relief appearance. In limited big league work last year, Sampson posted a terrific 2.80 ERA but his 5.72 FIP told a much different story. Prior to getting called up this season, Sampson had recorded a pedestrian 3.81 ERA and 1.27 WHIP in 28 1/3 innings pitched at AAA Iowa. The Cardinals bullpen has been among the best in baseball lately, posting a collective 1.80 ERA and 0.84 WHIP over the last seven games. The Cubs 'pen has been solid lately as well, but certainly hasn't been reliable on the road this season, recording a 4.78 ERA and 1.35 WHIP. Take St. Louis (8*).