Venue: Busch Stadium — St. Louis, Missouri
First Pitch: 7:15 PM CT / 5:15 PM PT
Broadcast: Marquee Sports Network / Bally Sports Midwest / MLB.TV
Probable Pitchers:
- CHC: RHP Ben Brown (4–3, 3.52 ERA)
- STL: RHP Gordon Leahy (3–2, 3.89 ERA)
VENUE & WEATHER CONDITIONS
Busch Stadium — St. Louis, MO
- Park Factor: Neutral leaning pitcher‑friendly
- Dimensions: 336 LF / 400 CF / 335 RF
- Ballpark Impact: Suppresses HRs to center; boosts doubles in gaps
Weather Forecast
- Temperature: 79–82°F at first pitch
- Wind: 6–9 mph blowing in from left
- Humidity: 60%
- Rain: <10%
- Impact: Slight advantage to pitchers, especially fly‑ball arms like Brown
INJURY REPORT
Chicago Cubs
- Seiya Suzuki — OUT (hamstring)
- Dansby Swanson — Probable (wrist)
- Cody Bellinger — Available
- Justin Steele — OUT (forearm)
- Adbert Alzolay — Available
St. Louis Cardinals
- Nolan Arenado — Probable (back tightness)
- Lars Nootbaar — OUT (shoulder)
- Willson Contreras — OUT (hand)
- Ryan Helsley — Available
- Tommy Edman — Available
Both teams are missing key bats, but St. Louis is more depleted in the middle of the order.
TEAM RECORDS & RECENT FORM
CHICAGO CUBS (31–27)
Last 10 Games: 6–4
Road Record: 14–15
Most Recent: Cubs 4, Cardinals 2 (May 29)
Team Strengths
- Strong rotation depth
- Improved bullpen in late May
- Good plate discipline
- Brown trending upward
Team Weaknesses
- Missing Suzuki hurts OBP
- Inconsistent run production
- Middle relief volatility
- Defensive lapses at times
ST. LOUIS CARDINALS (30–25)
Last 10 Games: 5–5
Home Record: 16–11
Most Recent: Lost 4–2 to Cubs
Team Strengths
- Strong contact hitting
- Good bullpen back end (Helsley, Pallante)
- Solid infield defense
- Leahy showing improved command
Team Weaknesses
- Missing Contreras + Nootbaar reduces power
- Bottom‑third in HRs
- Inconsistent run production
- Rotation depth thin
STARTING PITCHER BREAKDOWN
CHC — RHP BEN BROWN
2026 Stats: 4–3, 3.52 ERA, 1.18 WHIP
Last 3 Starts: 18.0 IP, 6 ER, 22 K, 5 BB
Pitch Mix:
- Four‑seam (47%)
- Curveball (28%)
- Slider (18%)
- Changeup (7%)
Matchup Notes
- Cardinals struggle vs. high‑spin four‑seamers
- Brown’s curveball is a major weapon vs. right‑handed hitters
- Busch Stadium suppresses HRs, helping Brown’s fly‑ball tendencies
- Vulnerable to left‑handed contact hitters (Gorman, Donovan)
Edge: Brown
STL — RHP GORDON LEAHY
2026 Stats: 3–2, 3.89 ERA, 1.26 WHIP
Last 3 Starts: 17.1 IP, 9 ER, 14 K, 6 BB
Pitch Mix:
- Sinker (42%)
- Slider (30%)
- Four‑seam (18%)
- Changeup (10%)
Matchup Notes
- Cubs hit sinkers well (top‑10 vs. pitch type)
- Leahy’s slider must be sharp to neutralize Bellinger + Happ
- Ground‑ball tendencies help in Busch Stadium
- Walk rate remains a concern
Edge: Cubs lineup
KEY PLAYER MATCHUPS
Cody Bellinger (CHC) vs. Gordon Leahy
- Bellinger vs. sinkers: .301 AVG / .551 SLG
- Leahy relies heavily on sinker Advantage: Bellinger
Nolan Gorman (STL) vs. Ben Brown
- Gorman vs. four‑seamers: .284 AVG / .590 SLG
- Brown’s fastball can be hittable when elevated Advantage: Gorman
Ian Happ (CHC) vs. Leahy
- Happ hitting .312 over last 15 games
- Excellent vs. right‑handed sliders Advantage: Happ
SERIES HISTORY
Last 3 Seasons (2024–2026)
- Cubs lead 20–17
- At Busch Stadium: Cubs lead 10–8
- Average combined runs: 8.6 per game
2026 Season Series
- Cubs lead 1–0 (4–2 win on May 29)
BETTING TRENDS
Chicago Cubs
- 5–2 in last 7 games
- 4–1 in last 5 vs. NL Central
- Under is 6–3 in last 9
St. Louis Cardinals
- 4–2 in last 6 home games
- Under is 5–2 in last 7
- 3–6 in last 9 vs. teams above .500
Head‑to‑Head Trends
- Cubs are 6–3 in last 9 meetings
- Under is 4–1 in last 5 at Busch Stadium
Game Odds
Chicago Cubs – 138
St. Louis Cardinals 8
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Friday, May 29, 2026
