Baseball's second wild card has taken a bit of urgency out of the playoff chase, but the St. Louis Cardinals may be getting nervous as they sit 6.5 games out of first place in the N.L. Central with the calendar turning toward August. Of course, they're only 2.5 games out of the second wild card spot, but dropping a series to a team as bad as the Chicago Cubs would certainly sting.

Leading the Cardinals on Sunday as they look to avoid that fate is Adam Wainwright, who has found his groove in July, posting a 2.70 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP in four starts. That's good news for St. Louis, but there is some bad news, too. They'll be facing Chicago starter Paul Maholm, who has been stellar at home this season and nearly unhittable in July. This month, Maholm has put up a 1.20 ERA and 0.97 WHIP in 30 innings.

Game date/time: Sunday, July 29, 1:20 p.m. CT

Location: Wrigley Field, Chicago, Ill.

TV: FSN Midwest

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis. For more in-depth coverage of this series, visit St. Louis Cardinals blog Viva El Birdos and Cubs blog Bleed Cubbie Blue. And for more from around baseball, check out MLB Daily Dish and Baseball Nation.