Chicago Cubs vs. St. Louis Cardinals preview, Saturday 5/4, 3:05 CT

The Cubs have thrown consecutive shutouts for the second time this season — in fact, for the second time in their last 14 games. They have six shutouts in 2019. No other team has more than three.

In addition, they shut out the Mariners for the final two innings in Tuesday night’s 6-5 win, so they have a 20-inning scoreless streak going. It’s also the second time this season they have had a streak at least that long:

The most consecutive shutouts in team history is three, which includes the three streaks mentioned in those tweets. It’s happened four other times since 1908, most recently in 1992. Incidentally, in the current 20-inning scoreless streak, Cubs pitchers have allowed six hits and three walks (0.45 WHIP) and struck out 18.

Your turn, Yu!

Here are today’s particulars.

Cubs lineup:

Cardinals lineup:

Yu Darvish, RHP vs. Michael Wacha, RHP

Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Finally, finally, Yu Darvish’s last start provided some evidence that maybe, just maybe, he’s turning the corner.

Optimistic enough for you? How about this: last three starts, 3.24 ERA, 1.320 WHIP, 23 strikeouts in 16⅔ innings. That, if continued, would be the Darvish the Cubs thought they were getting.

This is Darvish’s first-ever start against the Cardinals. Just four current Cardinals have ever faced him (Dexter Fowler, Paul Goldschmidt, Marcell Ozuna, Matt Wieters), and they are a more-or-less meaningless 3-for-17 against him.

Perhaps the unfamiliarity will help Darvish today.

Michael Wacha started the year well, but here are his last three starts: 7.36 ERA, 1.501 WHIP, four home runs in 14⅔ innings. That could be good news for the currently-hot Cubs bats.

The Cubs have, historically, absolutely pounded Wacha. He has made 18 appearances (16 starts) against them: 6.65 ERA, 1.556 WHIP, 20 home runs in 89⅓ innings. It’s by far his worst performance against anyone he’s faced more than seven times.

Current Cubs are hitting .331 (54-for-163) against Wacha with 10 home runs. Anthony Rizzo has torched him: .476 (20-for-42) with three homers.

Today’s game is on WGN. It’s also being carried on a national brodcast on FS1 (no blackouts). Joe Buck, John Smoltz and Ken Rosenthal will call the game on FS1.

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 2019 Game Thread procedure will be the same as the one used in previous years. 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.