Cardinals vs Cubs starts Friday at Wrigley Field, with the Cubs opening a three-game home series against a rival they have already seen shift the standings. The Cubs arrive having won 15 of their last 19 games, while the Cardinals enter on a skid.
David Peterson is set to start for the Cubs against Andre Pallante at 3:05 p.m. CT on Marquee Sports Network. Peterson comes in with a 4-6 record, a 5.86 ERA and a 1.588 WHIP, giving the opener a direct matchup between a team in form and a starter trying to steady his numbers.
Wrigley Field and the standings
The Cubs entered Friday five games behind Milwaukee and six games behind in the loss column. They also moved half a game ahead of the Phillies for the top wild-card spot after the Phillies lost to the Pirates on Thursday, so this series opens with more than rivalry attached to it.
That tension runs through the recent results between the clubs. The Cardinals won two of three in St. Louis on May 29-31, but the Cubs swept three games at Wrigley to close out last season, and before that took two of three on July 4-6. In the first of those July 4-6 games, the Cubs hit eight home runs.
Imanaga and Assad follow
The rotation stays lined up behind Friday’s opener. Shōta Imanaga is scheduled to face Kyle Leahy on Saturday at 7:08 p.m. CT on Fox-TV, and Javier Assad is set to oppose Matthew Liberatore on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. CT on Peacock.
The series gives the Cubs and Cardinals another chapter in a matchup that has gone on for 2,529 total games since 1892. The Cubs lead the series 1,282 to 1,228, and the run totals are nearly even at 11,057 to 11,038, which is why a three-game swing in Chicago can still move both the record book and the race.
Saturday and Sunday plans
After the finale, the Cubs have Monday off and then travel to Baltimore for a three-game series beginning Tuesday evening. They also host the Padres for the first time since last year’s Wild Card Series, keeping the schedule tight after this home stand ends.
For now, the first step is Friday’s start, and that is where the spotlight sits: Peterson, Pallante, and a series that begins with the Cubs trying to protect their position while the Cardinals try to stop the slide.
