Can we get some bad blood?
Last year, Joe Maddon said the Cubs, “ we won’t start stuff, but we will end stuff,” in the aftermath of some Cubs-Cards beanball wars. While we certainly don’t want to see any Manny Machado–Yordano Ventura incidents, we should all be looking out for someone to start something.
If a guess has to be made, the smart money will be on the Cards looking to push the emotional envelope, for this series ultimately means more to them right now than the comfortably leading Cubs. This may especially be true if the Cubs jump out to a big lead on Monday, as the Cardinals may look to the mound for a spark to jumpstart their squad.
The Midwestern fans that frequent the stands and neighborhood bars for this rivalry may not be as incendiary as their New England and Mid-Atlantic counterparts, but make no mistake about the negative degree of love lost between these two franchises. The disdain is real, and it will make for some amazing viewing.
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Given what is at stake between the Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals, that bad blood may boil to the surface once again. If so, an already entertaining series may well be even more interesting to watch.