After losing in 14 innings, Chicago Cubs prepare to welcome Willson Contreras back to town with the reeling St. Louis Cardinals – The Denver Post

The Chicago Cubs got within 90 feet of a series sweep of the Miami Marlins — three times — on a boisterous, sunny Sunday at Wrigley Field. They wound up with a 5-4, 14-inning loss thanks to an ill-timed balk and a lot of marooned baserunners.

But it could have been a lot worse.

In fact, the good-vibe Cubs (17-17) won’t have to look far Monday to feel a lot better about themselves. The National League Central’s hot mess of a so-called division favorite comes to town for a three-game series.

That would be the last-place — by a lot — St. Louis Cardinals, who needed a seventh-inning outburst Sunday at home against the lousy Detroit Tigers to snap an eight-game losing streak before their first meeting of the season against the rival Cubs. At 11-24, the Cards lug the NL’s worst…