Chicago Cubs vs. St. Louis Cardinals preview, Wednesday 5/10, 6:40 CT

Today's roster move:

Wednesday notes...

• NOT SCORING ALL THESE RUNNERS: Last night, the Cubs put 15 runners on base (four singles, three doubles, seven walks, one HBP) and only two of them scored (plus the two home runs hit). In their first 17 games, while going 11-6, the Cubs scored 36.4 percent of runners who reached base (78 of 214). In the 19 games since then, while going 6-13, they have scored only 23.7 percent (52 of 219). The Cubs’ season average of 30.2 percent ranks 20th among all teams and seventh among NL clubs. The average of all 29 other teams is 31.5 percent. The Rangers have the highest percentage, 42.8; the Marlins, the lowest, 24.7. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• LEADING THE PITCHERS: The Cubs’ team ERA of 3.40 entering tonight’s game leads all National League teams and is fifth in MLB.
• UNFORTUNATELY, NOT THE HITTERS: The Cubs’ OPS with RISP is .728, which ranks 18th in MLB. They have left at least nine runners on base in every game this month (nine games total) and have not scored more than four runs in any game since May 1, a 5-1 win at Washington.
• EXCEPT FOR THIS GUY: Dansby Swanson, so far in the series vs. the Cardinals: 4-for-8 with three doubles and a home run.
• THE MOREL FILES: Christopher Morel became the fourth Cub since 2000 to homer in his first MLB game of the season in back-to-back years. The others: Ian Happ (2017-18), Aramis Ramirez (2009-10) and Corey Patterson (2003-04).

Here are today’s particulars.

Cubs lineup:

Cardinals lineup:

Justin Steele, LHP vs. Jordan Montgomery, LHP

Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports

Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

There’s an argument to be made that Justin Steele is the best pitcher in baseball right now. He has allowed two or fewer earned runs in all of his starts this year and after walking four Rangers on April 8, has walked just six more in his last five starts covering 31⅓ innings.

The last time he faced the Cardinals was June 5, 2022 at Wrigley Field. He allowed one earned run in seven innings, though the Cubs lost the game.

I’d take a start like that tonight.

The last time Jordan Montgomery faced the Cubs, August 22, 2022 at Wrigley Field, he threw a one-hit complete-game shutout. (That’s the last time any pitcher, Cubs or visitor, has thrown a CG shutout at Wrigley.) He also threw seven shutout innings vs. the Cubs for the Yankees in New York June 11, 2022.

Somehow, I think this Cubs team will do better than that tonight, with several different Cubs in the starting lineup. Trey Mancini, for example, lifetime vs. Montgomery: 11-for-32 (.344), a home run, four walks. Dansby Swanson has also homered off Montgomery.

Statcast

Statcast

Today’s game is on Marquee Sports Network. Here’s a list of providers currently carrying Marquee. It’s also on MLB Network (outside the Cubs and Cardinals market territories).

Here is the complete MLB.com Mediacenter for today.

MLB.com Gameday

Baseball-reference.com 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 2023 Game Thread procedure will be like last year’s, similar to what we’ve used for Spring Training.

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, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game, including the first pitch thread and the overflow thread, as well as the recap when it’s published. The recap will also live on the front page as a separate post.

You will also be able to find the preview, first pitch thread and the overflow thread in the box marked “Chicago Cubs Game Threads” at the bottom of the front page (you can also find them in this section link). The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.

The first pitch thread will post at five minutes before game time, then an overflow thread at 90 minutes after the scheduled game time.

Discuss amongst yourselves.