MLB Game Preview: St. Louis Cardinals (47-42) vs. Chicago Cubs (53-35)

The Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals renew their storied rivalry in Game 2 of a three-game weekend series at Wrigley Field. With both teams in the thick of the National League playoff race, this matchup carries weight beyond tradition, as the Cubs look to extend their division lead and the Cardinals aim to snap a losing skid.

Game Details

Team Records & Recent Form

• The Cubs are riding a 4-game win streak and have outscored opponents by 27 runs over their last 10 games.
• The Cardinals have dropped 4 of their last 5 and are 21–25 on the road.

Pitching Matchup

Chicago Cubs: Drew Pomeranz (2–1, 0.00 ERA)

• Making his third start of the season after 26 relief appearances
• Has not allowed an earned run in 27 straight innings
• Opponents batting just .177 against him

St. Louis Cardinals: Matthew Liberatore (6–6, 3.70 ERA)

• 92.1 IP, 76 K, 1.18 WHIP
• 32.8% chase rate and 4.5% walk rate – elite command metrics
• Allowed 2 ER in 6 IP vs Cubs earlier this season

Players to Watch

Chicago Cubs

• Kyle Tucker: .287 AVG, 17 HR, 52 RBI – team leader in OBP and slugging
• Pete Crow-Armstrong: 23 HR, 20 doubles – ranks 7th in MLB in homers
• Michael Busch: .288 AVG – leads team in batting average
• Seiya Suzuki: 4-game hit streak, 2 HR in last 5 games

St. Louis Cardinals

• Brendan Donovan: .293 AVG, 22 doubles – team’s most consistent hitter
• Lars Nootbaar: 11 HR – leads team in home runs
• Nolan Arenado: .244 AVG, 10 HR – veteran presence in the middle of the order
• Ivan Herrera: .320/.392/.533 slash line – breakout season behind the plate

Advanced Stats Snapshot