Regardless of what last season threw at them, the Cardinals could always count on the constants of John Lackey on the mound and Jason Heyward in the field to personify a team that relied on consistency to stay ahead.
The lack of that, as much as the migration of the two players who provided it, put the Cardinals behind Monday.
The Cubs’ gain led to a Cardinals loss.
In his first start in St. Louis since leaving the Cardinals for the Cubs, Lackey threw seven shutout innings and, helped by Heyward’s two sliding catches, steered the Cubs to a seamless 5-0 victory at Busch Stadium.