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Closing in on crown, Cubs face Cards on MLB.TV
- Updated: September 14, 2016
The Cubs and Cardinals conclude another chapter in their storied history today in the finale of a three-game set at Busch Stadium. With a win Tuesday, the Cardinals avoided the possibility of watching Chicago celebrate a division title on their home turf today but are still on the verge of ceding the National League Central to the Cubs, whose magic number remained at three.
The Cardinals are competing to extend their season with a spot in the NL’s Wild Card Game. They enter the day trailing the Mets by a half-game for the second spot.
• MLB standings | Postseason Picture
This is far from the only intriguing matchup in today’s 15-game slate, which is available for streaming live on MLB.TV. Several more playoff contenders will meet head-to-head, including Orioles at Red Sox, Mets at Nationals and Rangers at Astros. Some of the NL’s top hurlers — Clayton Kershaw, Jon Lester, Madison Bumgarner and Jose Fernandez — are also scheduled to take the mound for their clubs.
MLB.TV Premium has returned with the same features as last year, and is only $9.99 for the rest of the season. This package has the best value and provides access to more than 400 devices and a free subscription to the MLB.com At Bat Premium app (a $19.99 value). It offers the best picture quality ever — a new 60 frames per second — for supported devices.
Here’s what to watch for throughout the day (all times in ET):
Rivals close set in St. Louis: CHC@STL, 1:45 p.m. This NL Central clash features a prime pitching matchup between two of the division’s best pitchers in Lester and Carlos Martinez. Lester enters the game riding an eight-game quality start streak; he’s 6-0 with a 1.17 ERA and a .191 opponent batting average in that span. Lester tossed seven scoreless innings against the Astros in his last start, holding them 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position.
“He doesn’t cower from [big moments],” Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. “He absolutely loves it. That’s why you sign a guy like this — for these particular moments. When you watch him play in this moment, you can see he absolutely relishes it. He wants to be out there.”
The Cardinals, meanwhile, have won each of Martinez’s last five starts. The righty completed at …
