Cardinals Announce Starting Pitchers for Key Series vs. Cubs

The St. Louis Cardinals took care of business against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Despite trading Dustin May, JoJo Romero and Lars Nootbaar ahead of the 2026 Major League Baseball trade deadline, the Cardinals have gotten themselves back into the Wild Card conversation. After taking two out of three games against the Phillies, the Cardinals are just 2 1/2 games out of a Wild Card spot.

There's no time to sit around and relax, though. On Friday afternoon, the Cardinals will begin arguably their most important series of the season to this point when they hit the road and face off against the Chicago Cubs. The Cardinals will play three games against the Cubs, who currently hold the No. 1 Wild Card spot in the National League. If the Cardinals could simply win the series, that would be positive for their playoff hopes. A sweep would go a long way.

Any time these two National League Central rivals get together, it makes for an intriguing matchup. This one will be amplified. It'll be a fun weekend and the Cardinals have announced their pitching probables for the series.

Friday — Matthew Liberatore

Aug 8, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Matthew Liberatore (32) throws against the Colorado Rockies during the third inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Liberatore is coming off a difficult start on Saturday against the Colorado Rockies. Liberatore pitched five innings against Colorado and allowed five earned runs on nine base hits. The Cardinals will need more from him if they want to have a shot against Chicago. Liberatore last pitched against the Cubs on July 27. That day, he went 3 2/3 innings and allowed three runs.

Overall this season, Liberatore has made 23 starts and has a 5.15 ERA in 113 2/3 innings pitched.

Saturday — Michael McGreevy

Aug 9, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Michael McGreevy (36) throws against the Colorado Rockies during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

McGreevy hasn't been as sharp recently as he was across the first few months of the season. He has an 8.00 ERA over his last four starts across 18 innings of work. His last time out came on Aug. 9. That day, McGreevy tossed 5 2/3 innings against the Rockies and allowed three earned runs. Overall, he has a 3.64 ERA in 23 starts for the Cardinals this season.

Sunday — Hunter Dobbins

Aug 10, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Hunter Dobbins (40) throws against the Philadelphia Phillies during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Dobbins has a legit shot in the rotation now with Dustin May out of town and has looked good so far. While he has suffered losses in his last two starts, he allowed three earned runs in 11 1/3 innings pitched. His last outing was on Aug. 10. That day, he allowed one run in five innings pitched against the Phillies.

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