ST. LOUIS -- The Cardinals and Cubs will have to wait until Thursday to wrap up their first series this season at Busch Stadium.
About two hours before Wednesday's scheduled first pitch, the Cardinals announced that the game had been postponed due to the threat of severe weather. The game has been rescheduled for Thursday at 12:45 p.m. CT.
The schedule change did not trigger a switch in the pitching plans for either team. John Lackey will still start for Chicago, and Lance Lynn will make his return from Tommy John surgery for St. Louis.
However, the postponement did throw a wrinkle in the Cubs' travel plans. They've been in St. Louis since Friday night and had intended to leave town late Wednesday afternoon, return to Chicago for two nights and then take a bus to Milwaukee on Friday. Now, they'll have to forgo the day off at home.
It's been a jagged start to the season for both clubs, as they've now played just twice in a five-day span. The layoff would have been even longer had Wednesday's rainout been rescheduled for later in the season. As it is, Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said he welcomed this early concentration of off-days.
"I think it's really good," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. "Spring Training, it's a lot of work. So I feel like guys are just now getting their rest to get where they should be. It doesn't bother me."