Chicago Cubs vs St. Louis Cardinals – Series Preview (September 26-28): Overview, Game and Broadcast Info, Starting Pitchers, W2W4
The Cubs (89-70) dropped two of three to the Mets and have lost six of their last seven as they struggle heading into the playoffs next week. Chicago still needs a combination of two wins and/or Padres losses to secure home-field advantage in the Wild Card matchup with San Diego starting Tuesday. The regular season comes to an end with three against the rival Cardinals starting Friday.
The Cards (78-81) were officially eliminated from the playoffs on Thursday, but they haven’t really been a factor for most of the second half after selling off at the trade deadline. The starting rotation has struggled most of the season, contributing to a 4.23 team ERA that is 20th in baseball.
The offense has had an even tougher time with a .696 team OPS that ranks 23rd in MLB. The power has been extremely lacking with just 146 homers, but old friend Willson Contreras is leading the way with 20.
The biggest storyline for the Cubs entering this series is the status of slugger Kyle Tucker, who has been out with a calf injury since September 2. Tucker is expected to play on Friday or Saturday and then hopefully in the postseason.
Chicago has something to play for with a chance to earn a home playoff series with two wins. Let’s see if they can take care of business quickly so they can get ready for the bright lights to come next week.
Game Time and Broadcast Info
- Friday, September 26 at 1:20pm CT on MLB Network and Marquee.
- Saturday, September 27 at 1:20pm CT on MLB Network and Marquee.
- Sunday, September 28 at 2:20pm CT on Marquee.
Starting Pitchers
| Date | Pitcher | Age | T | ERA | W/L | FIP | K/BB |
| 9/26 | Colin Rea | 35 | R | 4.10 | 10-7 | 4.23 | 2.79 |
| Miles Mikolas | 37 | R | 4.76 | 8–10 | 4.88 | 2.67 | |
| 9/27 | Jameson Taillon | 33 | R | 3.78 | 10-7 | 4.71 | 3.60 |
| Michael McGreevy | 25 | R | 4.35 | 8-3 | 4.05 | 3.06 | |
| 9/28 | TBA | ||||||
| TBA |
What to Watch For
- Cade Horton is expected to throw in the outfield on Friday to determine his status.
- Seiya Suzuki hit a pair of homers Thursday, snapping a stretch of almost two months without a dinger.
- Nico Hoerner needs a good weekend to finish with a batting average above .300.
- One more win will give the Cubs their 10th 90-win season since 1945.
