MLB Game Preview: Atlanta Braves (40-52) vs. St. Louis Cardinals (50-44)

The Atlanta Braves (40–52) visit Busch Stadium to face the St. Louis Cardinals (50–44) on Friday, July 11 at 8:15 PM ET, opening a three-game National League series. With the Braves struggling in the NL East and the Cardinals chasing the Cubs in the Central, this matchup features two teams with playoff aspirations but vastly different momentum.

Team Form & Standings

Team	Record	Last 5 Games	Home/Away Split
St. Louis Cardinals	50–44	W–W–L–W–L	26–20 (Home)
Atlanta Braves	40–52	L–L–W–L–L	18–30 (Away)

• Cardinals took 2 of 3 from the Nationals and sit 5.5 games behind the Cubs in the NL Central.
• Braves dropped 2 of 3 to the Athletics and are 13.5 games back in the NL East.

Starting Pitchers

St. Louis Cardinals – Matthew Liberatore (LHP)

• Record: 6–6
• ERA: 3.70
• WHIP: 1.18
• Last Start: 5 IP, 2 ER vs Cubs
• Note: 10 quality starts; opponents hitting .250

Atlanta Braves – Grant Holmes (RHP)

• Record: 4–8
• ERA: 3.44
• WHIP: 1.18
• Last Start: 6 IP, 2 ER vs Orioles
• Note: 118 K in 102.2 IP; opponents hitting .213

Key Players to Watch

St. Louis Cardinals

• Brendan Donovan: .296 AVG – 10 hits, 3 HR, 6 RBI in last 11 games
• Lars Nootbaar: 12 HR – leads team; batting .294 over last 5 games
• Nolan Arenado: .245 AVG, 10 HR – veteran slugger with 25 walks
• Willson Contreras: 12 HR, 52 RBI – .389 AVG over last 5 games

Atlanta Braves

• Matt Olson: 17 HR, 58 RBI – team leader in power; ranks 28th in MLB HR
• Austin Riley: .273 AVG, 14 HR – 5-game hit streak; 3 doubles, 2 HR, 5 RBI
• Marcell Ozuna: 12 HR, 63 BB – .236 AVG; consistent OBP threat
• Ozzie Albies: 7 HR, 12 doubles – .221 AVG; looking to break slump

• Braves are 2–8 in their last 10 games ATS
• Cardinals are 6–4 ATS in their last 10 games
• Over has hit in just 3 of Braves’ last 10 games

Game Storylines

• Pitching Duel: Holmes and Liberatore both boast sub-4.00 ERAs and solid WHIPs, setting up a potential low-scoring affair.
• Offensive Trends: Braves average just 3.3 runs/game over last 10; Cardinals at 3.2 runs/game
• Series History: Cardinals have won 4 of last 6 vs Braves; Austin Riley owns a .352 career AVG vs STL with 10 HR
• Playoff Implications: Cardinals are within striking distance of the NL Central lead; Braves need a turnaround to stay relevant.

Game Details

• Matchup: Atlanta Braves vs St. Louis Cardinals
• Date: Friday, July 11, 2025
• Time: 8:15 PM ET
• Venue: Busch Stadium, St. Louis, MO
• Broadcast: FDSMW / FDSSO / MLB.tv