The Chicago Cubs head into one of their biggest series of the season with renewed confidence after rediscovering the form that made them one of baseball’s hottest teams earlier this year. Riding a scorching stretch of play, the Cubs have officially announced their starting rotation for a pivotal three-game Independence Day weekend series against the St. Louis Cardinals at Wrigley Field.
After enduring a difficult period that included a shocking 10-game losing streak, Chicago has engineered an impressive turnaround. Since June 11, the Cubs have posted a remarkable 15-4 record, including victories in nine of their last 10 games. That surge featured a four-game sweep of the New York Mets and a key series win over the Milwaukee Brewers, helping the club regain momentum in the National League playoff race.
Although Milwaukee still owns a 5.5-game advantage atop the NL Central, the Cubs have positioned themselves to continue trimming that deficit while simultaneously strengthening their hold over another division rival. Entering the holiday weekend, Chicago sits three games ahead of St. Louis in the standings, making the upcoming rivalry series especially significant.
The Cubs’ recent success has largely been fueled by one of the hottest offenses in Major League Baseball. The lineup erupted for 23 runs in a single game earlier this week, matching the highest-scoring performance in the majors this season. Over their last two contests alone, Chicago has blasted 13 home runs, showcasing the power that has transformed the club into one of baseball’s most dangerous offenses.
During the past two weeks, no team has scored more runs than the Cubs. They have produced an MLB-best 104 runs while compiling an outstanding .887 OPS, comfortably outpacing the Philadelphia Phillies, who rank second with 89 runs over the same period.
Despite the offensive explosion, pitching remains one of Chicago’s biggest concerns. Injuries have depleted the starting rotation throughout the season, forcing the front office to search for reinforcements. The Cubs recently addressed that need by acquiring veteran left-hander David Peterson, who is scheduled to make just his second start for the club during the highly anticipated series.
The series opens with Peterson taking the mound against Cardinals right-hander Andre Pallante.
Peterson’s Cubs debut offered encouraging signs despite a rocky beginning. After surrendering a leadoff home run against Milwaukee, the veteran quickly settled into rhythm, pitching 5.2 innings while allowing only two earned runs on five hits. Perhaps most importantly, he did not issue a walk, demonstrating the command Chicago hoped to gain when it acquired him.
The Cubs believe Peterson’s ground-ball style pairs perfectly with their elite infield defense, allowing him to be even more effective than he was during his tenure with the New York Mets.
Pallante, meanwhile, has quietly enjoyed a productive season, carrying a 3.83 ERA while ranking among the league’s leaders in inducing ground balls. However, his previous meeting with Chicago did not go well. Back on May 29, the Cubs tagged him for four runs on eight hits in just three innings, and they’ll look to repeat that offensive success against the right-hander.
Saturday’s nationally televised Fourth of July matchup features one of the most anticipated pitching duels of the weekend.
Chicago will hand the ball to ace Shota Imanaga, who has shown encouraging improvement over his past few starts. In his latest outing against the San Diego Padres, the Japanese left-hander surrendered nine hits but limited the damage to only two runs across 6.1 innings while avoiding a walk for the first time since mid-May.
Even so, Imanaga has reason for caution against St. Louis.
The Cardinals tagged him for five runs and three home runs in their previous meeting, exposing one of the few vulnerabilities in his game—his tendency to allow the long ball. St. Louis has consistently demonstrated the ability to make solid contact even on pitches outside the strike zone, creating another difficult challenge for the Cubs’ ace.
Opposing him will be Kyle Leahy, one of the Cardinals’ most versatile starters. Armed with a deep mix of pitches, including an effective curveball and slider, Leahy frustrated Chicago during their earlier meeting by limiting the Cubs to just one earned run while recording four strikeouts. His ability to generate swings and misses with breaking pitches could once again present problems for a Cubs lineup that has occasionally struggled against that pitch type.
The weekend concludes with Javier Assad making what is expected to be one of his final starts before the All-Star break.
Manager Craig Counsell recently confirmed that Assad remains in the rotation while several injured starters continue progressing through rehabilitation assignments.
After an outstanding stretch earlier this season, Assad has cooled considerably. Over his last three starts, he has allowed nine runs while surrendering six home runs, highlighting the inconsistency that has plagued him in recent weeks. Sunday’s game will also mark his first appearance against St. Louis this season, adding another layer of uncertainty.
The Cardinals will counter with left-hander Matthew Liberatore, whose season has been equally unpredictable.
Liberatore owns a 5.33 ERA and struggled throughout June, allowing 23 runs across five starts. However, one of his strongest performances of the season came against the Cubs on May 31, when he tossed 5.1 scoreless innings and struck out four hitters.
Whether that outing reflected Liberatore’s potential or simply coincided with Chicago’s offensive slump remains to be seen.
With both teams battling for position in a tightly contested NL Central race, strong starting pitching could prove just as important as the Cubs’ red-hot offense. If Chicago’s rotation can complement its explosive lineup, the holiday weekend series could provide another major boost in the club’s push toward the top of the division.
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