The St. Louis Cardinals have a big series ahead this weekend vs. the Chicago Cubs.
The St. Louis Cardinals handled business against the Philadelphia Phillies and have suddenly put themselves back in the National League Wild Card race.
Even after trading Dustin May, JoJo Romero, and Lars Nootbaar before the 2026 MLB trade deadline, the Cardinals have managed to stay within striking distance of the postseason. Following a series win over the Phillies, St. Louis now sits just 2.5 games behind a Wild Card spot.
There is little time for the Cardinals to celebrate, however. On Friday afternoon, they will begin what could be their most important series of the season when they travel to face the Chicago Cubs. The three-game set will pit St. Louis against the Cubs, who currently occupy the National League’s top Wild Card position. Winning the series would provide a significant boost to the Cardinals’ playoff hopes, while a sweep could be even more impactful.
Whenever these two National League Central rivals meet, there is plenty of intrigue. With both teams having so much at stake this time around, the intensity should be even higher. It should make for an entertaining weekend, and the Cardinals have officially announced their starting pitching plans for the series.
Friday — Matthew Liberatore
Matthew Liberatore enters the series after a rough outing against the Colorado Rockies on Saturday. The left-hander lasted five innings and surrendered five earned runs on nine hits. The Cardinals will need a much stronger performance from him if they hope to keep pace with Chicago. Liberatore’s most recent appearance against the Cubs came on July 27, when he recorded just 3⅔ innings while giving up three runs.
Through 23 starts this season, Liberatore owns a 5.15 ERA across 113⅔ innings.
Saturday — Michael McGreevy
Michael McGreevy hasn’t been quite as effective lately as he was during the opening months of the season. Over his last four starts, he has posted an 8.00 ERA across 18 innings.
McGreevy’s most recent outing came on Aug. 9 against the Colorado Rockies, when he worked 5⅔ innings and surrendered three earned runs. Despite his recent struggles, he has still put together a solid season overall, carrying a 3.64 ERA through 23 starts for the Cardinals.
Sunday — Hunter Dobbins
Dobbins now has a legitimate opportunity to secure a spot in the Cardinals’ rotation following Dustin May’s departure, and so far, he has made a strong case for himself. Although he has taken the loss in each of his last two starts, Dobbins has allowed just three earned runs over 11⅓ innings during that span.
His most recent start came Aug. 10 against the Philadelphia Phillies. Dobbins delivered a solid performance, giving up just one run over five innings.
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