Cardinals Announce Starting Pitchers for Huge Series vs. Ice-Cold Cubs

The St. Louis Cardinals have a much-needed day off on Thursday before yet another important National League Central series beginning on Friday night at home at Busch Stadium.

St. Louis has played eight straight games against National League foes with three against the Pittsburgh Pirates, three against the Cincinnati Reds, and three against the Milwaukee Brewers. The Cardinals lost two games against the Pirates, one game against the Reds, and all three against the Brewers. Overall, the Cardinals are 2-6 over their last eight games.

The Cardinals are dealing with a bit of adversity and will try to get back on track on Friday as the NL Central gauntlet continues with a three-game series against the Chicago Cubs. The Cardinals and Cubs are tied for second place in the NL Central right now. The Cardinals are 29-25 and the Cubs are 30-26, both are 4 1/2 games behind the Brewers. Both are also cold right now. The Cubs are 1-9 over their last 10 games and finally snapped their losing streak with a win over the Pirates on Wednesday.

St. Louis fortunately has a day off on Thursday and the club already has its starters ready to go and announced for the three-game set against Chicago.

Friday — Kyle Leahy

St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Kyle Leahy (62) delivers a pitch in the first inning between the St. Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on Saturday, May 23, 2026. | Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Kyle Leahy has had a bit of an up-and-down season so far for St. Louis in his first campaign as a full-time starter in the majors. He has a 4.44 ERA in 10 starts across 50 2/3 innings of work. Of his 10 starts, eight have been very solid and two haven't been great. In his first outing, he allowed four runs in five innings pitched. In his last outing on May 23, he allowed five earned runs in five innings pitched. Between those two starts, he logged a 3.54 ERA in the other eight starts.

Saturday — Andre Pallante

May 23, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Andre Pallante (53) throws against the Cincinnati Reds in the fourth inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images | Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

Talk about a turnaround. Last year, Pallante had a 5.31 ERA in 31 starts and struggled pretty much all season. That hasn't been the case this year. Pallante has made 10 starts and has a 3.76 ERA in 55 innings pitched. He's also allowed just five earned runs in his last 17 2/3 innings pitched.

Sunday — Matthew Liberatore

May 25, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Matthew Liberatore (32) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Matthew Liberatore is someone who needs a bounce-back outings. He has a 4.76 ERA in 11 starts for the Cardinals so far this season. He had 19 strikeouts over his last two starts, but allowed seven runs in 9 2/3 total innings pitched. He hasn't allowed fewer than three runs in an outing or pitched deeper than five innings since May 7.

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