The St. Louis Cardinals are heading into one of the most important stretches of their 2026 season, opening an 11-game road trip Friday with a three-game series against their National League Central rival, the Chicago Cubs.
After taking a much-needed day off Thursday, St. Louis will return to action at Wrigley Field with significant postseason implications hanging over the series. The Cardinals are attempting to remain in the National League Wild Card race, and their remaining schedule provides both opportunities and challenges.
St. Louis will play 17 of its final 41 regular-season games against NL Central opponents, making the division matchups especially important as the Cardinals attempt to close the gap in the Wild Card standings.
The Cardinals enter Chicago with considerable momentum. They just completed their third consecutive series victory, dominating the Philadelphia Phillies 7-1 on Wednesday. The victory was especially encouraging because Philadelphia entered the series as one of the National League’s stronger contenders.
Manager Oliver Marmol praised his team’s performance, noting that St. Louis not only competed with a playoff-caliber opponent but played with the same level of intensity and quality.
Alec Burleson was one of the biggest offensive contributors during the Phillies series. He finished the three-game set 5-for-10 with two doubles and six RBIs, including a three-RBI performance in Wednesday’s series finale.
The Cardinals also received an encouraging development from rookie Cesar Prieto. Prieto snapped an 0-for-27 start to his major-league season when he led off the fifth inning Wednesday with a single.
The hit provided a major emotional lift for Prieto and his teammates. Marmol pointed out how the entire dugout reacted to the moment, emphasizing how important it was for the young player to finally get his first hit.
Now the Cardinals must carry that momentum into Chicago.
The Cubs, meanwhile, arrive home looking to rebound from an ugly loss. Chicago was shut out 7-0 by the Washington Nationals on Thursday, collecting only one hit in the entire game. Michael Busch finally broke up the no-hit bid with a bloop single in the seventh inning.
Despite the poor performance, Chicago has been playing strong baseball overall. The loss was only the Cubs’ second defeat in their last 10 games, meaning St. Louis will be facing a team that has generally been in excellent form.
Liberatore gets another chance against Chicago
St. Louis will send left-hander Matthew Liberatore to the mound in Friday’s opener. The 26-year-old enters the game with a 5-9 record and a 5.15 ERA and is looking to reverse a difficult recent stretch.
Liberatore has lost his last three decisions and is 0-3 across his previous four starts. His most recent outing was particularly difficult, as he allowed five runs on nine hits over five innings in an 8-6 loss to the Colorado Rockies.
His history against Chicago has been mixed, and his three meetings with the Cubs this season have become progressively more challenging.
Liberatore’s first start against Chicago came May 31, when he allowed only three hits over 5⅓ scoreless innings in a 5-1 Cardinals victory.
His next matchup came July 5 at Wrigley Field. He allowed four runs, three earned, in just over five innings as St. Louis fell 6-4.
When the teams met again on July 27, Liberatore struggled even more. He surrendered eight hits and three runs in 3⅔ innings during a 7-3 Cardinals loss.
Overall, however, Liberatore has respectable career numbers against Chicago, going 2-3 with a 3.76 ERA in 13 appearances, including seven starts.
Holmes makes another comeback start for Cubs
Chicago will counter with right-hander Clay Holmes, who is 4-5 with a 2.86 ERA.
Holmes’ first appearance for the Cubs did not go according to plan. He allowed four runs on six hits over four innings in a 6-3 loss to the Kansas City Royals.
That outing marked Holmes’ return to the major leagues following a lengthy recovery from a fractured fibula. He suffered the injury May 15 while pitching for the New York Mets.
Chicago acquired Holmes from New York in the Aug. 3 trade deadline deal, hoping the veteran could become an important part of its pitching staff down the stretch.
Holmes admitted that his first outing was not as sharp as he wanted, but simply returning to a major-league mound represented an important milestone.
The right-hander has some previous experience against St. Louis. He defeated the Cardinals earlier this season while pitching for the Mets, allowing two runs on four hits over 5⅔ innings in a 4-2 New York victory on March 30.
For his career, Holmes has appeared in 14 games against St. Louis, including three starts, compiling a 2-2 record, one save and a 5.28 ERA.
A pivotal series for both teams
The three-game matchup at Wrigley Field carries importance for both clubs, although for different reasons.
For St. Louis, the series represents an opportunity to continue its recent surge and gain ground in the National League postseason race. The Cardinals have already shown they can compete with strong teams, and beating the Cubs on their own field would provide another major boost.
For Chicago, the goal is to maintain its strong position and prevent a division rival from gaining momentum at a critical point in the season.
With St. Louis and Chicago splitting their first 10 meetings of the season, the rivalry has been remarkably even. The Cardinals now have 11 consecutive road games ahead of them, making a strong start against the Cubs particularly important.
The Cardinals have momentum, confidence and a clear postseason objective. The Cubs have home-field advantage and have been one of the National League’s hottest teams.
That combination makes Friday’s opener more than just the beginning of another series—it is the opening chapter of a crucial stretch that could have a major impact on St. Louis’ September playoff hopes.
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