Cardinals Pitching Probables for Final Home Series vs. Nationals

After dropping a series to the San Francisco Giants, the St. Louis Cardinals are facing elimination. They could be officially eliminated from wild card contention by the end of the day on Thursday, but even if they aren't, a trip to the playoffs is virtually impossible at this point.

The Cardinals have one home series left on the schedule this year as they welcome the Washington Nationals to town. After this series, they'll hit the road to wrap up the season, facing off against the Pittsburgh Pirates and Milwaukee Brewers.

Here is who the probable starting pitchers are for St. Louis this weekend.

Friday: Kyle Leahy

Jul 31, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Kyle Leahy (62) pitches to the Toronto Blue Jays during the first inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Kyle Leahy may be on an innings limit for St. Louis, but he has still been effective. In his last start, he pitched three scoreless innings against the Chicago White Sox. Fortunately, St. Louis has Cooper Hjerpe to back him up after his three innings are over, and while he struggled against the White Sox, he pitched four perfect innings in relief of Leahy in his major league debut on September 6.

So, if Leahy can get them through three or four innings, they can quickly turn things over to Hjerpe to complete the rest of the game.

Saturday: Michael McGreevy

Michael McGreevy hasn't been quite as strong in the second half of the season, but he allowed just one run over six innings in his last start and earned the win. Busch Stadium's pitcher friendly dimensions typically play in his favor as a pitch-to-contact guy.

He owns a 3.83 ERA on the season and will face a tough Nationals lineup in his final home start, but as long as he can keep the ball on the ground and use the Cardinals' solid defense to his advantage, he should be okay as he makes his next start.

For his first full year in the rotation, McGreevy has actually pitched quite well and could be a steady force for them over the next few years.

Sunday: Quinn Mathews

Quinn Mathews just keeps getting better and strengthening his case to be in the rotation in 2027. In his last start against the Giants, he allowed just one run and pitched into the seventh inning, earning a win.

This is a huge step in the right direction for the left-hander, who like McGreevy, is more of a pitch-to-contact pitcher. But it's clear that Busch Stadium has benefitted him thus far, and he'll have a chance to give the fans one more look at what he is capable of for the future.

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