Pregame Notes: Chicago Cubs vs St. Louis Cardinals, 1:15 p.m. CT

This late in the season, the best the Chicago Cubs can look to do is play spoiler to other teams. There is no other team they would love to do that to more than the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals trail Milwaukee by one game as they hope to hold on to at least on of the NL Wild Card spots.

The Cubs (61-75) will send Travis Wood (8-11, 4.72) to the mound. Wood is looking to win back-to-back starts for the first time since June. He’s pitched much better his last few starts, including six innings of shutout baseball against the Reds in his last outing.

The Cardinals (72-63) John Lackey (2-1, 4.50) has been exactly what the team was looking for when they acquired him from Boston. In his fives starts since joining the team, he’s gone seven innings in three of them, and allowed two or fewer runs in four of the five outings.

Anthony Rizzo will sit out again on Sunday to rest his sore back. Rizzo has taken batting practice and felt fine, but can feel it tighten back up when jogging. The Cubs are being cautious and resting him for the entire weekend.

First pitch is slated for 1:15 pm CT at Busch Stadium.

Here are the lineups for today’s game: