The stumbling Cardinals try to avoid being swept at Wrigley Field for the first time in five years Sunday night. The Cardinals had taken 7 out of 8 games in the Chicago series, now have dropped their last 3 in a row against this Cubs team. Chicago. Jake Westbrook will toe the slab for the Cardinals. Jake Westbrook, who has lost both of his starts versus the Cubs this year while allowing nine runs in 8 1/3 innings. Westbrook carried a perfect game into the sixth inning before falling apart in a 6-3 home loss to Chicago on July 31. That is just the begining. The 33-year-old sinkerballer dropped to 0-3 over his last four starts after yielding five runs and nine hits in 5 2/3 innings of Monday's 6-2 loss at Pittsburgh. But there is one good thing about West brook, He can win on the road. The Righthander, posts a 6-3 record with an ERA of 3.75. St Louis has won 8 of his 13 road starts this season. Westbrook must watch for Carlos Pena. The first baseman has gone 11 for 35 (.314) with four homers and six doubles against the right-hander.

Winner of 14 of 19 overall, extended its scoreless innings streak to 15 against the Cardinals with Saturday's shutout. Now The Cubs will counter this pitching duo with Rodrigo Lopez, who looks to win a third consecutive start for the first time since May 25-June 4, 2006. Lopez holds a 4-3 record with an ERA of 4.66, but dispite the 2-0 record in his previous 3 starts his ERA was elevated to 5.40 in those starts. Lopez's only defeat in his last seven starts came at St. Louis on July 30, when he surrendered a season worst-tying six runs and eight hits in 4 1/3 innings of a 13-5 loss. Altogether the Cardinals have proven to a pest to Lopez as he has dropped 4 of in his last 6 starts against St Louis, giving up 5 or more runs in 3 of those 6 appereances. Lopez has limited Albert Pujols to three hits in 15 career at-bats, but two of those have left the yard. Pujols is trying to avoid going hitless in a third straight game, which would tie a season high. Rafael Furcal also has taken Lopez deep twice, going 10 for 26 (.385) against him. I think Westbrook keeps his cool in this game and stops the sweep at Wrigley Feild

2* ST LOUIS CARDINALS -145 (WESTBROOK)