Chicago Cubs vs. St. Louis Cardinals preview, Sunday 9/30, 2:20 CT

You don’t need me to tell you of the importance of this game, and I’ve already laid out all the scenarios earlier today.

In addition to everything else — it might rain this afternoon. This season has already been marred by multiple rainouts and delays; it somehow seems appropriate.

So as usual, here’s your local radar to keep track.

I don’t think I can add anything else to this preview that hasn’t already been said. Just win, and hope the Brewers lose.

Here are today’s particulars.

Cubs lineup:

Cardinals lineup:

Mike Montgomery, LHP vs. Jack Flaherty, RHP

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Mike Montgomery, with this start, will have half of his 2018 appearances out of the rotation (19 starts, 19 relief outings). Since his return from the DL he’s made one good start and had four mediocre ones. He has started twice against the Cardinals this year. One was really good. The other was not.

He’s going to need to be really good today. Simple as that.

Jack Flaherty has had a good rookie year for the Cardinals, but appears to be running out of gas. Last four starts: 5.14 ERA, 1.286 WHIP, 10 walks in 21 innings. He made two starts against the Cubs earlier this year and has allowed only one run in 10 innings, with 16 strikeouts.

Let’s hope the gassed version of Flaherty is the one we get today, instead of that guy who shut the Cubs down in June and July.

Today’s game is on NBC Sports Chicago.

Here is the complete MLB.com Mediacenter for today.

MLB.com Gameday

Baseball-reference.com game preview

SB Nation game preview

Please visit our SB Nation Cardinals site Viva el Birdos. If you do go there to interact with Cardinals fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.

The 2018 Game Thread procedure will be the same as the one used during 2017. Here’s how it works.

You’ll find the game preview posted separately on the front page, two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).

At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page. The First Pitch Thread and all the overflow threads will be published in that stream, as well as the recap. The recap will also live on the front page as a separate post, and at the time I write the recap I will rename the stream “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of Week) Game Threads” so you can go back and find every thread related to that particular game.

You will also be able to find the preview, First Pitch Thread, all the overflow threads and recap in the box marked “Chicago Cubs Game Threads” at the bottom of the front page (you can also find them in this section link). They will also appear in the game’s StoryStream as noted above.

The First Pitch thread will post at five minutes before game time, then an overflow thread at one hour, two hours and 2:45 after the scheduled game time.

Discuss amongst yourselves.