A Look Ahead to St. Louis

The past week hasn't been the best week if you have been a Cubs fan, but the only upside is that it wasn't much better for Brewers fans. Although the Cubs have struggled against the likes of the Astros and Reds I look for them to rebound this week. An off day today along with a three game set against your biggest rival is a nice way to refocus a team.

Tuesday - Dempster v. Lohse

Dempster has come up big for the Cubs time and time again this year since moving into the starting rotation from the closer role. Dempster has gone 5-2 since the All-Star break and is coming off of a quality start his last outing against the Astros. He will by vying for his 16th win of the season against Kyle Lohse. He has been a workhorse for the Cubs, one that they have relied on a lot. I look for him to not disappoint and to have another quality start.

Wednesday - Lilly v. Looper

Lilly will head into Wednesday's game coming off of his shortest outing on the season, two innings where he gave up five runs on four hits and three walks. Facing the Cardinals for the fourth time this year, he already has one win against the Redbirds and I look for him to bounce back well after his poor showing against the Reds in Cincinnati.

Thursday - Harden v Wellemeyer

I'm not sure what to expect out of Harden as he makes his first start since Aug. 29th. There have been concerns that he may be experiencing some discomfort lately, but the Cubs have said they just wanted to give him some extra rest. Harden went 3-0 in August with a 1.82 ERA. He has looked dominant in his outings thus far in the National League, but has been hampered by not being able to go very deep in games, putting the game in the hands of the bullpen. Hopefully the extra rest will benefit him and he will continue to overpower the NL. I look for another strong start from a very fresh Harden who I bet is eager to take the mound and turn things around for the Cubs.

Side Note: I am not one to worry much about "magic numbers" until they get to around five games, but for Cubs fans who want to know where we are at, they can visit this site that keeps track of the current "magic number" for the Cubs.

Cubs Magic Number