Chicago Cubs @ St. Louis Cardinals – Series Preview (June 23-26): Overview, Game and Broadcast Info, Starting Pitchers, W2W4
The Cubs (46-31) dropped two of three to the Mariners at a blistering hot Wrigley Field this weekend to wrap up a nine-game homestand with a 5-4 record. The pitching was very leaky against Seattle with 30 runs allowed over just three days. Chicago now heads out on the road for an important divisional matchup with the Cardinals starting Monday night at Busch Stadium.
St. Louis (42-36) started out slow before a huge 19-11 May got them back into the race. June has been a bit more of a struggle with a 9-11 mark, but they have won five of their last six. Amazingly, this is their first series against the Cubs in 2025.
The Cardinals’ offense has been decidedly average with a team OPS of .718 that is the 15th highest in baseball. They have hit 74 home runs, more than just six other MLB clubs. Catcher Ivan Herrera has been the best hitter on the roster, but he just went on the injured list with a pulled hamstring.
Big Alec Burleson is having a solid year with an .810 OPS and eight home runs. Brendan Donovan is hitting well despite some limited power, and old friend Willson Contreras has 10 homers now as a primary first baseman.
St. Louis has a team ERA of 3.93, which currently is the 19th highest in MLB. The starting rotation and the bullpen have almost identical numbers, so one area isn’t significantly stronger than the other. Sonny Gray remains the staff ace and is having another solid year.
Phil Maton and JoJo Romero have been excellent setup men in the bullpen for the Cards. Hard-throwing closer Ryan Helsley has been very good at times, though he has had a couple of recent issues.
The Cubs have been playing good baseball most of the season, but they have been a bit more pedestrian in June with a 10-9 record. The Cardinals could get back in the race in a big way if they win this series. It would make things a lot easier on the Cubs if they can keep their rivals further back.
Game Time and Broadcast Info
- Monday, June 23 at 6:45pm CT on Marquee.
- Tuesday, June 24 at 6:45pm CT on Marquee.
- Wednesday, June 25 at 6:45pm CT on Marquee.
- Thursday, June 26 at 1:15pm CT on Marquee.
Starting Pitchers
| Date | Pitcher | Age | T | ERA | W/L | FIP | K/BB |
| 6/23 | Ben Brown | 25 | R | 5.57 | 4-5 | 3.44 | 3.52 |
| Matthew Liberatore | 25 | L | 4.08 | 4-6 | 3.04 | 6.00 | |
| 6/24 | Jameson Taillon | 33 | R | 3.84 | 7-4 | 4.81 | 3.94 |
| Erick Fedde | 32 | R | 3.54 | 3–6 | 4.04 | 1.53 | |
| 6/25 | Matthew Boyd | 34 | L | 2.84 | 6-3 | 3.65 | 3.76 |
| Andre Pallante | 26 | R | 4.48 | 5–3 | 4.41 | 2.15 | |
| 6/26 | Shōta Imanaga | 31 | L | 2.82 | 3-2 | 4.53 | 2.43 |
| Sonny Gray | 35 | R | 3.72 | 7-2 | 3.18 | 5.29 |
What to Watch For
- Imanaga will come off the injured list Thursday for his first start since May 4
- Kyle Tucker had five hits and two home runs against the Mariners.
- Ian Happ has four home runs in his last five games.
