Veteran Cubs lefty Drew Smyly has pitched well in August, with a pair of shutouts and another 2 run outing. While that 1.06 ERA for the month looks great, he has struggled vs good-hitting teams in the past, and the Cardinals are definitely on a tear offensively of late.

Jordan Montgomery starts for the Cards on Monday. He appears to have a bit of a chip on his shoulder since being traded, and has given up just 1 run in his last 3 games. Impressed by Smyly’s ERA? How about Montgomery’s; 0.54 over his last 7 starts!

The Cardinals are very much tops of the bops at the moment, at .352/1.003 over the last torrid week. The Cubs have been better than average, but pale in comparison at .218/.700. The Cubs are sub.500 at home and while the starting pitching has been very good, the bullpen has struggled, Sunday’s game being a case in point. The Cardinals’ bullpen has been very sharp.

The Cardinals are on a serious roll and it will take more than Smyly and the Cubs’ bats to slow them down, road or no. Take St. Louis to win outright.