NLDS Game 3: Jake Arrieta, Cubs look to take series lead vs Cardinals

It’s been a long seven years, but the National League Division Series has finally found its way back to Wrigley Field as the Chicago Cubs get set to host the St. Louis Cardinals.

Chicago is coming off a huge 6-3 win this past Saturday which featured a five-run second inning to help give Kyle Hendricks his first postseason win as a big league pitcher.

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Today, ace right-hander Jake Arrieta (1-0, 0.00 ERA) will get the nod while Mike Matheny will counter Joe Maddon‘s workhorse with a veteran right-hander of his own in Michael Wacha.

Arrieta (22-6, 1.77 ERA regular season) helped the Cubs reach the NLDS by shutting out the Pittsburgh Pirates last Wednesday, and boy, was that place hopping or what? Granted, he did plunk two batters and even had the bases full of Bucs, but managed to escape with a couple of double-plays to keep them at bay.

The 29-year-old held Pittsburgh to five hits while issuing zero walks and recording 11 punch-outs as he went the distance, only to be mobbed by teammates after Starlin Castro recorded the third and final out.

While Jake has one postseason win under his belt, Wacha is no stranger when it comes to October baseball.

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Wacha (17-7, 3.38 ERA) holds a career record of 4-2 with an ERA of 3.48 behind five starts and six total appearances for the Cardinals. Most of his work came during the 2013 campaign.

He’s surrendered a combined nine earned runs on 16 hits just two years ago, then picked up a loss during the NLCS while visiting the San Francisco Giants who advanced to the World Series on a walk-off homer last season.

The game was tied 3-3 until Travis Ishikawa launched a three-run shot to right field in the home half of the ninth inning, sending their fans into a wild frenzy.

Tonight, he’ll face a lineup that will include heavy hitter’s in Jorge Soler, Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Kyle Schwarber, Addison Russell, and Castro just to name a few.

First pitch is slated for 5:07 p.m. central time and will air live on TBS, WBBM 780 A.M.

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