It's possible that by the time the Jon Lester takes the mound to start tonight's game that five of the six division champs will have been crowned, including all of the National League titles. However, with a three-teams-for-two-spots wild-card race in the NL in progress, tonight's match-up of NL Central rivals is far from meaningless.
While their wild-card foes, the Mets and the Giants, spent the weekend facing opponents that may lose 90-plus games this year, the Cardinals were tasked with traveling to Wrigley Field to play the best team in baseball. Through two games of the series, though, the Cardinals haven't lost any ground as all three teams split their Friday and Saturday contests. St. Louis will send its best pitcher this year, and presumed starter of the NL wild-card game should they get there, Carlos Martinez to the mound. Thanks to a rotation otherwise full of starters with ERAs well above 4.00, the Cardinals have to feel confident with Martinez and his 3.16 ERA manning the bump, but their enthusiasm must be tempered by the realization they'll be facing the Cubs ace, Jon Lester. Since joining the Cubs as a free-agent signing before the 2015 season, Lester has pitched 45 1/3 innings against St. Louis and has a 2.18 ERA.
With this marking the end of Sunday Night Baseball telecasts, it means our Chalk handicappers will be gearing up for the postseason as well, and for the second year in a row, our team of handicappers will enter October as net winners over the course of the regular season. Tonight we get divergent side plays from Joe Peta (11-8, +5.08 units on the season) and Andrew Lange (6-8, -2.08 units).