Oct. 09--Projected lineups for Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals:
Chicago Cubs
Position -- AVG. -- HR -- RBI
CF -- Dexter Fowler -- .250 -- 17 -- 46
RF -- Kyle Schwarber -- .246 -- 16 -- 43
LF -- Kris Bryant -- .275 -- 26 -- 99
1B -- Anthony Rizzo -- .278 -- 31 -- 101
3B -- Tommy La Stella -- .269 -- 1 -- 11
2B -- Starlin Castro -- .265 -- 11 -- 69
C -- Miguel Montero -- .248 -- 15 -- 53
SS -- Addison Russell -- .242 -- 13 -- 54
P -- Jon Lester -- .065 -- 0 -- 0
St. Louis Cardinals
3B -- Matt Carpenter -- .272 -- 28 -- 84
RF -- Randal Grichuk -- .276 -- 17 -- 47
LF -- Matt Holliday -- .279 -- 4 -- 35
CF -- Jason Heyward -- .293 -- 13 -- 60
SS -- Jhonny Peralta -- .275 -- 17 -- 71
1B -- Matt Adams -- .240 -- 5 -- 24
2B -- Kolten Wong -- .262 -- 11 -- 61
C -- Yadier Molina -- .270 -- 4 -- 61
P -- John Lackey -- .113 -- 0 -- 3
SCHEDULE
Game 1: Today, 3:30 p.m.
Chicago (Lester, 11-12, 3.34)
at St. Louis (Lackey, 13-10, 2.77)
Game 2: Saturday, 2:30 p.m.
Chicago (Hendricks, 8-7, 3.95)
at St. Louis (Garcia, 10-6, 2.43)
Game 3: Monday, 3 p.m.
St. Louis (Wacha, 17-7, 3.38)
at Chicago (Arrieta, 22-6, 1.77)
Game 4: Tuesday, 1:30*
St. Louis (Lynn, 12-11, 3.03)
at Chicago (Hammel, 10-7, 3.74)
Game 5: Thursday, 1:30*
Chicago (TBA)
at St. Louis (TBA)
*-if necessary -- All times PDT
TV: All games on TBS
Keys to the series
No, The Cubs haven't won the World Series since 1908, and no, they've never had bragging rights over the Cardinals. Then again, they've never had wunderkinds Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo, curse-crushing General Manager Theo Epstein and the brilliant Jake Arrieta. Since August, Arrieta has given up four earned runs. He'll probably pitch once, so the Cubs' young lineup must outslug the league's best rotation. Can Adam Wainwright, once thought lost for the season, be a force for the Cardinals' bullpen? Can their pedestrian offense manufacture runs? These rivals have a long history but never have played in the postseason. Is this finally the Cubs' chance to hold something over the Cardinals? Yes.
Pick: Cubs in five.
