First Pitch: 7:45 p.m. CT
Venue: Busch Stadium, St. Louis, Missouri
Surface: Grass
Capacity: 45,494
Venue & Weather
Busch Stadium plays neutral‑to‑slightly pitcher‑friendly, especially at night.
Temperature: ~84°F at first pitch
Wind: 7–12 mph blowing across from left to right
Humidity: Moderate
Rain: <15% chance
Warm but not oppressive conditions; cross‑winds reduce carry to left field but can help balls tail toward the right‑field corner.
Probable Pitchers — Deep Breakdown
Javier Assad — RHP, Cubs
2026 Stats:
Record: 8–7
ERA: 3.68
WHIP: 1.24
HR Allowed: 12
K/BB: 102/38
Profile: Assad is a command‑first righty with a cutter/sinker mix that generates weak contact. His cutter is his best pitch, holding opponents under a .220 average. He rarely gives up big innings.
Recent Form:
Last 4 starts: 3.21 ERA, 1.18 WHIP
Opponents hitting .233 in July
Cubs are 6–2 in his last eight starts
Matchup Outlook: St. Louis struggles vs high‑spin cutters and command‑heavy righties. Assad’s pitch mix is a strong matchup advantage.
Andre Pallante — RHP, Cardinals
2026 Stats:
Record: 5–6
ERA: 4.52
WHIP: 1.39
HR Allowed: 10
K/BB: 71/31
Profile: Pallante is a ground‑ball specialist (52–55% GB rate) with a sinker/slider combo. When he keeps the ball down, he’s effective; when he elevates, he becomes hittable.
Recent Form:
Last 3 starts: 5.11 ERA, 1.47 WHIP
Opponents slugging .421 in July
Cardinals are 4–7 in his last 11 starts
Matchup Outlook: Chicago’s lineup is top‑10 in hard‑hit rate and excels at punishing sinkers. Pallante’s margin for error is thin.
Current Rosters — Key Contributors
Chicago Cubs
Lineup Core:
Seiya Suzuki (RF): .281 AVG, 18 HR — elite vs RHP
Cody Bellinger (CF/1B): .267 AVG, 20 HR — strong vs sinkers
Christopher Morel (3B): 22 HR — high‑impact power
Ian Happ (LF): .255 AVG, .360 OBP — OBP anchor
Dansby Swanson (SS): .244 AVG, 14 HR — steady defense + pop
Pitching/Relief:
Bullpen ERA: 3.72
Save rate: 67%
Strength: late‑inning strikeouts
Weakness: occasional walk clusters
St. Louis Cardinals
Lineup Core:
Paul Goldschmidt (1B): .271 AVG, 17 HR — still dangerous
Nolan Arenado (3B): .259 AVG, 18 HR — strong vs cutters
Jordan Walker (RF): .248 AVG, 13 HR — emerging star
Masyn Winn (SS): .274 AVG — contact/speed
Brendan Donovan (2B): .265 AVG, .345 OBP — table‑setter
Pitching/Relief:
Bullpen ERA: 4.08
Save rate: 59%
Strength: left‑hand relievers
Weakness: HRs allowed in leverage spots
Injury Report
Cubs
Nico Hoerner (2B): Day‑to‑day (hamstring)
Ben Brown (SP): 15‑day IL (forearm)
Julian Merryweather (RP): 15‑day IL (shoulder)
Cardinals
Lars Nootbaar (OF): 10‑day IL (rib)
Ryan Helsley (CL): Day‑to‑day (back tightness)
Steven Matz (SP): 60‑day IL (elbow)
Cubs are slightly healthier and retain their full offensive core.
Recent Team Form
Chicago Cubs
Last 10 games: 7–3
Runs per game: 5.1
Team OPS: .748
Pitching ERA: 3.61
Cubs are trending upward and have won four straight series.
St. Louis Cardinals
Last 10 games: 5–5
Runs per game: 4.3
Team OPS: .702
Pitching ERA: 4.27
St. Louis is inconsistent but competitive.
Series History
Season series: Cubs lead 5–4
At Busch Stadium: Cardinals have won 6 of the last 10
Rivalry games often play close, with 7 of the last 12 decided by two runs or fewer.
Key Matchups
Seiya Suzuki vs Andre Pallante
Suzuki crushes sinkers and sliders. Edge: Suzuki — major extra‑base hit potential.
Javier Assad vs Goldschmidt/Arenado
Assad’s cutter neutralizes right‑hand power. Edge: Assad — matchup advantage.
Cubs Lefties vs Pallante
Bellinger, Happ, Morel all profile well vs Pallante’s sinker. Edge: Cubs — platoon advantage.
Cardinals Bullpen vs Cubs Middle Order
STL’s bullpen allows too many late HRs. Edge: Cubs — late‑inning scoring likely.
Betting Trends
Cubs
61–47 overall
29–25 on the road
50–55–3 O/U
34–20 as favorites
Cardinals
54–54 overall
29–27 at home
48–57–3 O/U
22–41 as underdogs
Game Odds
Chicago Cubs 8
St. Louis Cardinals – 108
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Wednesday, July 29, 2026
