Chicago Cubs @ St. Louis Cardinals – Series Preview (August 8-10): Overview, Game and Broadcast Info, Starting Pitchers, W2W4
The Cubs (66-48) dropped a series to the Reds at Wrigley Field as they continue to tread water in the second half with a 9-9 record since the break. Inconsistent offense and a suddenly leaky bullpen have been the main culprits in the recent frustrating stretch for the North Siders. Craig Counsell now takes his squad back out on the road for a series against the rival Cardinals at Busch Stadium.
St. Louis (58-58) was right in the NL Central race in early June, reaching as high as nine games over the .500 mark. Then the bottom fell out with an 8-17 record in July, which precipitated a minor selloff at the trade deadline as the Redbirds dropped out of the playoff race.
The Cardinals’ lineup has not been great with a .707 team OPS that ranks 21st in MLB. The return of slugging catcher Iván Herrera from the injured list certainly helps, as he has a team-leading .869 OPS. There aren’t many major power threats on the roster, but old pal Willson Contreras has 16 homers and is having a nice season at first base.
The pitching staff is in a similar position with a 4.22 team ERA that is ranked 20th in MLB. The starting rotation is a particular soft spot with a 4.61 ERA, as even presumed ace Sonny Gray has struggled recently. Left-hander Matthew Liberatore has been the most consistent starter, but the Cubs won’t see him this series.
The St. Louis bullpen has been better with a top-10 ERA of 3.66, though that unit suffered a major blow when closer Ryan Helsley was traded to the Mets. Primary setup man Phil Maton went to Texas, so the late innings may be a bit trickier to close out.
The Cubs could take advantage of a weakened St. Louis pitching staff to get back into gear. Of course, strange things often happen when these two bitter foes meet. Getting back in a groove while beating up on the Cardinals sure would make for an enjoyable weekend.
Game Time and Broadcast Info
- Friday, August 8 at 7:15pm CT on MLB Network and Marquee
- Saturday, August 9 at 6:15pm CT on FOX.
- Sunday, August 10 at 6:10pm CT on ESPN.
Starting Pitchers
| Date | Pitcher | Age | T | ERA | W/L | FIP | K/BB |
| 8/8 | Matthew Boyd | 34 | L | 2.34 | 11-4 | 3.18 | 4.07 |
| Michael McGreevy | 25 | R | 5.08 | 3-2 | 3.55 | 3.83 | |
| 8/9 | Colin Rea | 35 | R | 4.23 | 8-5 | 4.81 | 2.72 |
| Andre Pallante | 26 | R | 4.57 | 6–8 | 4.41 | 2.00 | |
| 8/10 | Shōta Imanaga | 31 | L | 3.12 | 8–4 | 4.48 | 4.12 |
| Sonny Gray | 35 | R | 4.21 | 10–5 | 3.10 | 6.71 |
What to Watch For
- The Cubs have a 4-3 record against the Cardinals so far this season.
- Boyd has thrown 130.2 innings in 2025, by far his most since 2019.
- Dansby Swanson hit a pair of home runs against the Reds.
- Seiya Suzuki had a perfect day at the plate Wednesday after struggling mightily in previous games.
