St. Louis Cardinals: Five Things to Watch in First Chicago Series

The St. Louis Cardinals (7-5) welcome the Chicago Cubs (9-3) to Busch Stadium for the first time in 2016.

Meeting for the first time since last year’s NLDS, the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs feature two of the league’s best offenses through the first couple of weeks of baseball.

The Cubs will be without slugging left fielder Kyle Schwarber, who burnt the Cardinals for a pair of long home runs in the 2015 NLDS.

Chicago newcomers Jason Heyward and John Lackey will make their return to Busch Stadium for the first time.

That figures to be just one of the many subplots that develop over the next three days at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.

The series will serve as yet another early season barometer in the ultra-talented NL Central, and somebody figures to head out of town on Wednesday with early momentum in that race.

What follows is my list of five storylines/match ups to pay attention to as the series unfolds over the next couple of days.

The series is going to be full of intrigue. Emotions will be high as both team’s look to prove that they are among the best that baseball has to offer.

Without further ado, let’s jump into this, starting with the anticipation of Heyward and Lackey’s return to St. Louis.

Next: Heyward and Lackey are back in St. Lou