Chicago Cubs @ St. Louis Cardinals – Series Preview (July 27-30): Overview, Game and Broadcast Info, Starting Pitchers, W2W4
The Cubs (50-51) completed a mini-sweep of the crosstown White Sox with a dramatic five-run comeback on Wednesday night. Chicago has battled almost all the way back to .500 mark and look to get over it with a four-game set against the team they just played last weekend, the Cardinals (46-57).
St. Louis left Wrigley Field and traveled to Arizona, where they won two out of three against the Diamondbacks by scoring a combined 21 runs in the two victories. Their series loss against the Cubs moved them into full-sale sell mode and speculation is rampant as to who might get shipped out.
Nolan Gorman continues to hit home runs with two more on Wednesday in Phoenix. Paul Goldschmidt also is also hitting and is always a threat against the Cubs. Nolan Arenado is still raking and is currently being tied to the Los Angeles Dodgers in trade rumors that grew even more intense when he sat out the last game in Arizona.
The Cardinals’ pitching continues to struggle and the bullpen in particular continues to be a big issue. Adam Wainwright returned from his shoulder injury Monday and will start in this series. They must out-slug their opponents to win games, which has not been a very effective strategy in 2023.
The weather will also be a factor this weekend with temperatures at or near 100 degrees in the forecast for every game at Busch Stadium. The ball will likely be jumping in St. Louis and there may be some high-scoring contests.
If the Cubs can have a successful series, it really feels like the front office will be forced to be buyers at Tuesday’s trade deadline. This series will not be easy because, despite the poor results, the Cardinals still have a talented roster and certainly can go off offensively at any time. That being said, it would be a lot of fun if the North Siders kept the good play going and then got a little bit of help on the trade market.
Game Time and Broadcast Info
- Thursday, July 27 at 6:45pm CT on MLB Network (out of market only) and Marquee.
- Friday, July 28 at 7:15pm CT on Marquee.
- Saturday, July 29 at 6:15pm CT on Marquee.
- Sunday, July 30 at 1:15pm CT on Marquee.
Starting Pitchers
| Date | Pitcher | Age | T | ERA | W/L | FIP | K/BB |
| 7/27 | Justin Steele | 28 | L | 2.95 | 10-3 | 2.96 | 4.57 |
| Miles Mikolas | 34 | R | 4.33 | 6-5 | 3.89 | 3.44 | |
| 7/28 | TBA | ||||||
| Jordan Montgomery | 30 | L | 3.37 | 6-8 | 3.59 | 3.29 | |
| 7/29 | Jameson Taillon | 31 | R | 5.75 | 4-6 | 4.69 | 3.04 |
| Adam Wainwright | 41 | R | 7.31 | 3-4 | 5.65 | 1.48 | |
| 7/30 | Kyle Hendricks | 33 | R | 3.45 | 4-4 | 4.05 | 4.18 |
| Steven Matz | 32 | L | 4.34 | 1-7 | 3.96 | 2.83 |
What to Watch For
- Nico Hoerner had five hits in two games against the White Sox.
- The Cubs have yet to name a starter for Friday and may use an opener for the scuffling Drew Smyly.
- Dansby Swanson has seven hits including two home runs since returning from the IL.
- This is Chicago’s only trip to St. Louis in 2023.