Chicago Cubs @ St. Louis Cardinals – Series Preview (May 29-31): Overview, Game and Broadcast Info, Starting Pitchers, W2W4
The Cubs (31-26) broke their 10-game losing streak against the Pirates on Wednesday and followed it up with a win over ace Paul Skenes on Thursday to split the series. The bats finally came to life in the two victories, putting up 17 total runs. They wrap up their road trip with a weekend set in Missouri against the rival Cardinals.
St. Louis (29-25) had meager expectations entering 2026 after unloading a lot of their veteran talent in the offseason. Cubs fans know that it’s never that easy to get rid of the Redbirds, and sure enough, they are off to a good start this season. They even briefly held first place in the NL Central, but now sit just a half-game behind the Cubs in third.
The Cardinals’ offense is in the middle of the pack with a .701 team OPS that ranks 14th in MLB. Outfielder Jordan Walker is having a massive breakout season with 15 homers, 42 RBI, and a .944 OPS. Big first baseman Alec Burleson is having a nice season, and designated hitter/catcher Ivan Herrera is a big threat in the heart of the lineup.
It’s been a bit more of a struggle for the pitching staff in the Gateway City with a 4.22 team ERA that is 20th best in MLB. Michael McGreevy has been the top starter in 2026, but the Cubs won’t see him in this series.
The bullpen has been an issue at times for the Cardinals, with a 4.26 ERA. Fireballing closer Riley O’Brien has 13 saves, though he hasn’t been perfect. JoJo Romero and Gordon Graceffo have been excellent in setup roles in the early going.
The Cubs have stopped the bleeding from their long losing streak, but things could easily go backwards again if they aren’t careful. They need to come ready to play at Busch Stadium this weekend and get things moving back in the right direction.
Game Time and Broadcast Info
- Friday, May 29 at 6:15pm CT on Marquee.
- Saturday, May 30 at 6:15pm CT on FOX.
- Sunday, May 31 at 6:20pm CT on NBC.
Starting Pitchers
| Date | Pitcher | Age | T | ERA | W/L | FIP | K/BB |
| 5/29 | Shōta Imanaga | 32 | L | 4.04 | 4-5 | 3.84 | 3.94 |
| Kyle Leahy | 28 | R | 4.44 | 5–3 | 4.94 | 1.91 | |
| 5/30 | Ben Brown | 26 | R | 2.01 | 1-2 | 2.26 | 3.36 |
| Andre Pallante | 27 | R | 3.76 | 5-4 | 4.41 | 2.15 | |
| 5/31 | Jordan Wicks | 26 | L | 16.62 | 0-1 | 5.14 | 5.00 |
| Matthew Liberatore | 26 | L | 4.76 | 2-3 | 4.66 | 2.41 |
What to Watch For
- Ian Happ has two homers and 8 RBI in his last two games.
- Imanaga has given up 15 runs in his last two outings.
- Michael Busch got on base eight times against the Pirates.
- Wicks is making one more start before Matthew Boyd returns from injury.
