Pregame Notes: Travis Wood opens final home stand vs Cardinals at 7:05 PM CT

The last place Chicago Cubs (69-87) will look to finish their final home series of the 2014 campaign on a good note as the St. Louis Cardinals (87-69) come to town in what is also their final match-up of the year.

These two teams will kick-off their 2015 post-season run on Monday, April 6, as the Cardinals open up the year at the ‘The Friendly Confines’. Hopefully the Cubs will have landed themselves a couple solid arms in the bullpen, with everyone’s fingers crossed on starting pitcher Jon Lester.

Starting tonight for the Cubs will be left-handed pitcher Travis Wood. Wood (8-12, 4.86 ERA) is coming off a strong six-inning outing coming against the Cincinnati Reds at home on September 15, but was unable to pick up a decision after holding the Reds to zero runs off three hits.

His last win was recorded on August 26 on the road against Cincinnati, another game that seen him work through six scoreless innings. Just like his no-decision at home against the fourth-place rival, Wood dominated their lineup, holding them to just two hits with one walk, and five strikeouts in the win. He last met up with the Cardinals on the road to close out the month of August, only making it through 4 2/3 innings of work.

St. Louis tallied four runs (two earned) off five hits, two of those being home runs off Wood to win the series two games to three over the Cubs. Now with only a week or so left on the schedule, the Cardinals will be looking to clinch the National League Central for the ninth time since 1996.

Starting tonight for the Cardinals will be another Cy Young candidate, Adam Wainwright. Wainwright (19-9, 2.45 ERA) is looking to tie Los Angeles Dodgers’ ace Clayton Kershaw with 20 wins in his final regular season outing.

Wainwright has dominated the month of September thus far, combining for a total of 32 innings, six earned runs off 27 hits, with three home runs, four walks, and 21 strikeouts in four wins. He pitched a complete game twice this month, both coming against the Milwaukee Brewers with a combined one earned run between both starts.

Surely tonight’s outing for Wood will be difficult as he’s going up against both a starting pitcher, and a lineup that wants to head into the post-season as a division champion.

You can catch tonight’s final home-series opener on WGN TV, and WGN 720 AM at 7:05 PM CT. This will also be the final Cubs home game aired live by WGN.

Now here’s a look at the lineups for both clubs: