Venue: Wrigley Field, Chicago, Illinois
TV/Stream: Apple TV+ Starting Pitchers
Cardinals: LHP Matthew Liberatore (5-9, 5.15 ERA, 1.52 WHIP, 113.2 IP, 110 K, 43 BB, 20 HR)
Cubs: RHP Clay Holmes (4-5, 2.86 ERA, 1.16–1.17 WHIP, 56.2 IP, 46 K, 20 BB, 4 HR)
Holmes (acquired from the Mets near the deadline) is making his second start with Chicago after a rough Cubs debut (4 IP, 4 ER vs. Kansas City on Aug. 8). He relies heavily on a sinker (~94 mph, high ground-ball rate) and secondary pitches that generate soft contact. Liberatore has been more hittable overall, with elevated home-run and WHIP numbers, though he has shown flashes (including a recent strong outing).
Venue and Weather Forecast
Wrigley Field (neutral park factor ~1.02). Daytime start. Forecast for Chicago/Wrigley area: Highs in the mid-to-upper 70s°F (around 75–79°F), mostly cloudy/humid with a slight chance of showers or isolated thunderstorms (precipitation chance ~20% during game hours, higher later). East/northeast winds around 5–10 mph (gusts possible). Conditions lean toward playable baseball with limited extreme wind influence expected.
Injury Reports
Cardinals:
Ramón Urías (3B, 60-day IL, elbow) – expected return ~Aug. 25
Max Rajcic (RP, 60-day IL, elbow) – longer-term
Cubs: Multiple arms and position players affected. Key names include Matt Shaw (RF/OF, 10-day IL, hand; nearing possible rehab), Edward Cabrera (SP, 15-day IL, hamstring; rehabbing), Daniel Palencia and Hoby Milner (RPs, 15-day IL, with returns around Aug. 14 window), Gavin Hollowell (RP, 15-day IL), plus longer-term absences (Justin Steele, Hunter Harvey, Shelby Miller, others on 60-day IL). Bullpen depth is tested.
Rosters reflect active 2026 personnel with key contributors such as Alec Burleson, Jordan Walker, Iván Herrera, Masyn Winn, and JJ Wetherholt for St. Louis; Pete Crow-Armstrong, Alex Bregman, Nico Hoerner, Seiya Suzuki, Dansby Swanson, Carson Kelly, and Michael Busch among Cubs regulars.
Key Player Matchups and Notes
Liberatore (LHP) faces a Cubs lineup that has produced well against left-handers in spots. Notable historical/recent trends vs. Liberatore include solid contact from players like Nico Hoerner, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Alex Bregman (hot recently: multi-hit production and power in recent stretch), and Michael Busch.
Crow-Armstrong (strong overall slash, power, and speed) stands out as a high-upside threat. Holmes’ sinker-heavy approach targets ground balls and soft contact against a Cardinals offense led by Burleson (.287 AVG range, solid power) and Walker (team HR leader, ~23 HR, strong SLG).
Cubs offense has been more productive season-long (higher runs, HRs). Cardinals have shown recent hitting streaks and solid production when collecting 8+ hits.
Recent Team Forms
Cardinals: Strong recent stretch (roughly 7-3 in last 10). Recent results include series wins/strong showings vs. Phillies (e.g., 7-1, 2-0) and Rockies. Playing improved baseball and competitive for a wild-card spot (though long odds). Road record 29-26.
Cubs: 8-2 in last 10 entering the series, though they dropped a 7-0 shutout at Washington on Aug. 13 (snapping a three-game win streak). Strong home mark (35-24). Second in NL Central, solid playoff positioning. Offensive output has been high in recent games (averaging well above 5 RPG in stretches).
Series History
Season series tied 5-5 through 10 games. Cubs have taken 4 of the last 5 meetings. Recent results have featured both low-scoring and high-scoring affairs (including a 17-1 Cardinals blowout earlier and several Cubs wins by multiple runs). Classic NL Central rivalry with split outcomes overall this year.
Betting Trends
Cubs strong as favorites and at home; Cardinals competitive as underdogs. Season series totals mixed; recent head-to-head has seen Overs in several games. Cubs have hit the Over at a solid rate overall; Cardinals more mixed.
GAME ODDS
St. Louis Cardinals 8
Chicago Cubs – 176
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Thursday, August 13, 2026
