ST. LOUIS -- John Lackey has been quite the bargain for the St. Louis Cardinals.
Pitching for the major league minimum $507,500 salary because of a clause in his contract, Lackey went 13-10 for a team that lost its ace early. And when old rivals face each other in a postseason series for the first time today, he'll be pitching against an old buddy.
NATIONAL LEAGUE DIVISION SERIES
Chicago Cubs at St. Louis Cardinals
5:45 p.m. Central today, TBS
MATCHUPS
This is the first postseason meeting between the longtime Midwest rivals. Virtually every regular-season game is a sellout at both ballparks regardless of the standings, and the intensity will only ramp up in October. … The NL Central featured the top three teams in baseball, with the Cardinals, Pirates and Cubs finishing 1-2-3 in victories. … The Cardinals won the season series but dropped six of the last nine meetings. St. Louis had a 3.93 ERA against the Cubs, going 7-3 at home and 4-5 at Wrigley Field. … Lackey, 36, gets the ball in Game 1 due to his postseason experience, including pitching the Game 6 clincher for Boston against St. Louis in the 2013 World Series. The right-hander was 9-4 with a 1.93 ERA at home and posted an ERA below 3.00 for the first time in his career.
BIG PICTURE
CUBS Under free-spirited Manager Joe Maddon, the streaking Cubs made the playoffs for the first time since 2008 by earning the second NL wild card. Paced by a young and powerful lineup, they’re trying to reach their first World Series in 70 years and end a championship drought that dates to 1908. Chicago took the first step with a 4-0 victory at Pittsburgh in the wild-card game, the team’s ninth consecutive victory. Arrieta tossed a four-hitter in yet another dominant start, and the Cubs won a playoff game for the first time since famously squandering a 3-1 lead in the 2003 NLCS against the Florida Marlins. Chicago was swept in the division series in 2007 by Arizona and 2008 by the Los Angeles Dodgers, and endured five consecutive losing seasons. … With Maddon keeping things loose and young players meshing with veterans, Chicago is the hottest team in baseball after going 46-19 over its final 65 regular-season games beginning July 27. The 46 victories were the most in the majors during that span. … Chicago had the best road record in the majors (48-33) and was only slightly better at home (49-32). … Chicago pitchers set a National League record with 1,431 strikeouts, breaking the mark set by the 2003 Cubs (1,404).
CARDINALS The Cardinals are trying to reach the NL Championship Series for the fifth year in a row. Despite injuries that sidelined Adam Wainwright, Matt Holliday and Matt Adams for long stretches, the Cardinals (100-62) won their third consecutive NL Central title and finished with the best record in the majors. Mike Matheny became the first manager in major league history to take his team to the playoffs in each of his first four seasons. The composition of the roster was complicated by numerous players coming off injuries, but the Cardinals filled big holes all season. … St. Louis went 55-26 at home, best in the majors.
Lackey, 36, will oppose the Chicago Cubs' Jon Lester, a duo that formed a devastating one-two combination for the Red Sox in the 2013 World Series.
"I'd like to say I was surprised, but I'm not," Lackey said Thursday. "He's good. No accident people running into each other this time of year."
Lackey had a career-best 2.77 ERA and consistently went deep for the 100-victory Cardinals, stepping up as the de facto ace after Adam Wainwright tore his left Achilles in late April.
He has earned this slot, the crusty, bulldog demeanor reminding management of former ace Chris Carpenter.
Lackey was paid $82.5 million the previous five years under a contract he signed with Boston, which included a conditional club option for 2015 at the minimum. That condition was met when he missed 2012 while recovering from reconstructive elbow surgery.
St. Louis acquired him from the Red Sox on July 31, 2014. Lackey can become a free agent again this fall.
"I don't think we'll discuss what we're doing in the offseason or strategy in the offseason at this point," Cardinals General Manager John Mozeliak said. "We're excited he's a part of it, and we're looking forward to a successful October."
Lester and Lackey combined for three victories in a six-game World Series triumph over the Cardinals in 2013. Lester was 2-0 with a 0.59 ERA, and Lackey won the clincher.
"He was probably the best on the planet going through the playoffs that year," Lackey said. "He knows how to compete, and he knows how to handle this time of year, for sure."
Lester will try to follow an excellent wild-card performance by Jake Arrieta, who threw a four-hitter Wednesday night in a 4-0 victory over the Pirates.
Lester figured he'd be matched against 17-game winner Michael Wacha, but the right-hander was 2-3 with a 7.78 ERA the final month and will start Game 3. When Lester learned he would be opposed by Lackey, he thought it funny and fitting.
"He's going to almost out-will you sometimes, if that makes sense," Lester said. "Our friendship will go beyond this game, will go beyond this career, but come tomorrow we're not buddies anymore."
Kyle Hendricks (8-7, 3.95) will oppose Jaime Garcia (10-6, 2.43) Saturday in Game 2. Arrieta (22-6, 1.77), who is having a breakout season, faces Wacha (17-7, 3.38) in Game 3, and in Game 4 it will be St. Louis' Lance Lynn (12-11, 3.03) against probably Jason Hammel (10-7, 3.74).
Thousands of fans regularly make the trek north or south and do their utmost to make the visitors feel right at home.
"I didn't even realize this was the first time we had met in the postseason," said Cubs Manager Joe Maddon, who spoke reverently about the Cardinals' tradition during earlier trips to Busch Stadium. "I thought that was kind of interesting, but then again it's believable if you look at how this thing plays out."
"It's going to be bumping tomorrow, regardless of who's winning," Cardinals second baseman Kolten Wong said. "When we go to Wrigley, we know that stadium is going to be bumping for sure."
The pregame workout was newsworthy for the Cardinals, who saw enough from All-Star catcher Yadier Molina that they believe he can be effective behind the plate wearing a hard plastic molded splint to protect a strained left thumb ligament. The thumb will be wrapped for at-bats.
Molina was injured tagging out the Cubs' Anthony Rizzo sliding into the plate on Sept. 20 in Chicago.
Maddon said he'd wait until game day to announce any roster changes but promised no major wrinkles.
"It's not going to be dramatically different, promise you," Maddon said.
Sports on 10/09/2015