Welcome to the third edition of Bleacher Report’s MLB rivalry series.

In the weeks to come, we’ll highlight some of the biggest head-to-head rivalries in our national pastime and shine light on the past, present and future of those matchups.

We kicked things off on the East Coast with a look at the famed Boston Red Sox-New York Yankees rivalry. Then we turned our attention west to the long, storied history of the Los Angeles Dodgers-San Francisco Giants feud.

Now it’s time for the best of the Midwest.

The Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals may not have the same contentious history as the first two feuds we highlighted. But, thanks to overlapping loyalties, it might be the best turf war the sport has to offer.

The following provides a look at notable numbers and notes, a detailed breakdown of the rivalry’s origins, an overview of memorable regular-season moments, a rundown of postseason meetings between the two clubs and finally a preview of the outlook of both franchises.

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