MLB Game Preview: St. Louis Cardinals (45-38) vs. Cleveland Guardians (40-40)

Game Details

• Matchup: St. Louis Cardinals vs. Cleveland Guardians
• Date: Saturday, June 28, 2025
• Time: 4:10 PM ET
• Venue: Progressive Field, Cleveland, OH
• Broadcast: ESPN+, Bally Sports, MLB.TV

Probable Pitchers

• Cardinals: Miles Mikolas (4-5, 4.12 ERA, 1.28 WHIP)
• Guardians: Slade Cecconi (3-3, 3.38 ERA, 1.22 WHIP)

Team Overview

St. Louis Cardinals

• Record: 45-38 (2nd in NL Central)
• Road Record: 19-21
• Key Strengths:

• Brendan Donovan: .300 AVG, 21 doubles, 5 HR, 29 RBI
• Alec Burleson: 4 HR in last 10 games, .275 AVG
• Team Power: 19-5 when hitting 2+ home runs
• Bullpen ERA: 3.41 (Top 10 in MLB)

Cleveland Guardians

• Record: 40-40 (3rd in AL Central)
• Home Record: 20-18
• Key Strengths:

• José Ramírez: 30 XBH, 13 HR, 49 RBI
• Luis Ortiz (recent starter): 10 K, 0 ER in last outing
• Team Speed: Top 5 in stolen bases
• Defensive Efficiency: Among AL leaders in fielding percentage

Key Matchup Insights

• Recent Form: Cardinals riding a 4-game road win streak
• Head-to-Head: First meeting of the season
• Pitching Edge: Cecconi has allowed 2 ER or fewer in 5 of 7 starts
• Offensive Trends: Guardians are 24-5 when scoring 5+ runs

X-Factors

• Miles Mikolas (STL): Needs to limit hard contact; 1.28 WHIP suggests traffic on base
• Slade Cecconi (CLE): Averaging 5.3 IP per start; 8.9 K/9 with solid command
• Lane Thomas (STL): 2 HR in last 10 games; could be a spark plug
• José Ramírez (CLE): Status worth monitoring after recent HBP