Venue: Busch Stadium — St. Louis, Missouri
First Pitch: 2:15 PM CT / 3:15 PM ET / 12:15 PM PT
Broadcast: Marquee Sports Network / Bally Sports Midwest / MLB.TV
Probable Pitchers:
CHC: LHP Jordan Wicks (4–3, 3.98 ERA)
STL: LHP Matthew Liberatore (3–4, 4.22 ERA)
VENUE & WEATHER CONDITIONS
Busch Stadium — St. Louis, MO
Park Factor: Slightly pitcher‑friendly
Dimensions: 336 LF / 400 CF / 335 RF
Ballpark Impact: Suppresses HRs to center; boosts doubles in the gaps
Weather Forecast (May 31, 2026)
Temperature: 82–85°F at first pitch
Wind: 8–12 mph blowing out to left
Humidity: 58%
Rain: <10%
Impact: Boost to right‑handed power, warm air = better carry
INJURY REPORT
Chicago Cubs
Seiya Suzuki — Probable (hamstring)
Dansby Swanson — Available
Cody Bellinger — OUT (wrist)
Justin Steele — OUT (shoulder)
Adbert Alzolay — Available
Missing Bellinger continues to hurt Chicago’s middle‑order power.
St. Louis Cardinals
Nolan Arenado — Probable (back tightness)
Lars Nootbaar — OUT (oblique)
Tommy Edman — Available
Ryan Helsley — Available
Steven Matz — OUT (elbow)
St. Louis is healthier than they were earlier in May, but Nootbaar’s absence still impacts lineup balance.
TEAM RECORDS & RECENT FORM
CHICAGO CUBS (32–27)
Last 10 Games: 5–5
Road Record: 14–15
Most Recent: Lost 5–4 to St. Louis (May 30)
Team Strengths
Strong rotation depth
Good OBP and plate discipline
Improved bullpen performance
Wicks trending upward
Team Weaknesses
Missing Bellinger reduces power
Inconsistent run production
Occasional defensive lapses
Struggles vs. left‑handed pitching
ST. LOUIS CARDINALS (30–26)
Last 10 Games: 6–4
Home Record: 16–12
Most Recent: Won 5–4 vs. Chicago
Team Strengths
Strong right‑handed power (Goldschmidt, Contreras)
Good bullpen back end (Helsley, Romero)
Liberatore pitching better at home
Excellent defensive efficiency
Team Weaknesses
Missing Nootbaar reduces OBP
Middle relief inconsistency
High strikeout rate
Occasional scoring droughts
STARTING PITCHER BREAKDOWN
CHC — LHP JORDAN WICKS
2026 Stats: 4–3, 3.98 ERA, 1.29 WHIP
Last 3 Starts: 17.2 IP, 7 ER, 18 K, 5 BB
Pitch Mix:
Sinker (38%)
Changeup (30%)
Slider (20%)
Four‑seam (12%)
Matchup Notes
Cardinals hit sinkers well
Wicks’ changeup is elite vs. right‑handers
Vulnerable to left‑handed power (Gorman)
Warm weather increases HR risk
Edge: Slight to Cardinals lineup
STL — LHP MATTHEW LIBERATORE
2026 Stats: 3–4, 4.22 ERA, 1.31 WHIP
Last 3 Starts: 18.0 IP, 8 ER, 17 K, 6 BB
Pitch Mix:
Four‑seam (42%)
Curveball (32%)
Slider (16%)
Changeup (10%)
Matchup Notes
Cubs struggle vs. left‑handed breaking balls
Liberatore’s curveball is his best pitch
Must avoid Swanson + Morel’s pull‑side power
Busch Stadium helps suppress HRs
Edge: Liberatore (slightly)
KEY PLAYER MATCHUPS
Paul Goldschmidt (STL) vs. Jordan Wicks
Goldschmidt vs. lefties: .311 AVG / .580 SLG
Wicks’ sinker plays into his strengths Advantage: Goldschmidt
Christopher Morel (CHC) vs. Matthew Liberatore
Morel vs. lefties: .278 AVG / .510 SLG
Liberatore’s curveball is a challenge Advantage: Even
Nolan Gorman (STL) vs. Wicks
Gorman vs. changeups: .301 AVG / .551 SLG
Wicks relies heavily on changeup Advantage: Gorman
SERIES HISTORY
Last 3 Seasons (2024–2026)
Cubs lead 19–17
At Busch Stadium: Cardinals lead 10–9
Average combined runs: 9.1 per game
2026 Season Series
Cardinals lead 2–1 (5–3, 6–4 STL; 7–5 CHC)
BETTING TRENDS
Chicago Cubs
4–2 in last 6 road games
Over is 6–3 in last 9
3–7 in last 10 vs. NL Central
St. Louis Cardinals
6–2 in last 8 home games
Over is 5–2 in last 7
5–1 in last 6 vs. teams above .500
Head‑to‑Head Trends
Over is 7–3 in last 10 meetings
Home team is 6–2 in last 8 matchups
Game Odds
Chicago Cubs – 109
St. Louis Cardinals 9
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Saturday, May 30, 2026
