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After Sunday's win over the Pirates, St. Louis still hasn't lost a series in 2012; with solid pitching from the starting rotation -- outside of Adam Wainwright -- and an offense that has produced plenty of runs even without Albert Pujols, the Cardinals also have the best run differential in the National League.
Related: Cardinals Vs. Pirates Final Score: St. Louis Wins 5-1, Avoids First Series Defeat
The rival Chicago Cubs, meanwhile, are off to a 4-12 start to the season and they're already seven games behind St. Louis in the Central. The Cardinals will look to extend that lead when they begin a three-game series with the Cubs on Monday night.
Here's a glance at the series schedule:
Game 1: Monday, April 23, 7:05 p.m. CT (Fox Sports Midwest)
Game 2: Tuesday, April 24, 7:05 p.m. CT (Fox Sports Midwest)
Game 3: Wednesday, April 25, 1:20 p.m. CT (Fox Sports Midwest)
Jaime Garcia (2-0, 3.06 ERA) is set to start Monday's game for St. Louis, while Matt Garza (1-1, 3.66) will be on the hill for Chicago.
For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis. For more in-depth coverage of this series, visit Cardinals blog Viva El Birdos and Cubs blog Bleed Cubbie Blue. News and notes from around Major League Baseball can be found on Baseball Nation.