Cubs vs. Cardinals Lineup: Happ Against a Lefty? No Ramírez, Big Day for Holmes

The Chicago Cubs will begin their series against the St. Louis Cardinals with a somewhat unconventional look.

Aug 13, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Chicago Cubs left fielder Ian Happ (8) reacts after striking out against the Washington Nationals during the second inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Chicago Cubs are starting a big-time series at Wrigley Field!

With the Milwaukee Brewers out in Los Angeles to face the Dodgers, this is another prime opportunity for the Cubbies to gain some ground. With that said, as rough as the Cardinals have been at times this season, we all know these matchups often end up tougher than they may look on paper.

Game Info

Who: St. Louis Cardinals (61-60) vs. Chicago Cubs (71-51)
Where: Wrigley Field
When: 1:20 PM CT
Watch: Apple TV
Listen: 104.3 The Score, TUDN, WPPN 106.7 / TUDN

Chicago Cubs Lineup

1. Pete Crow-Armstrong, CF
2. Seiya Suzuki, DH
3. Alex Bregman, 3B
4. Michael Busch, 1B
5. Nico Hoerner, 2B
6. Carson Kelly, C
7. Ian Happ, LF
8. Tyrone Taylor, RF
9. Dansby Swanson, SS

The Chicago Cubs are going with a somewhat unconventional look for their series opener against the Cardinals. Instead of finding room for Pedro Ramírez, Craig Counsell will go with both Ian Happ and Tyrone Taylor against a lefty. He's looked to avoid this since the trade deadline due to Happ's struggles, but the two will hold down duties in the corners this afternoon. For what it's worth, Happ has played better as of later, recording at least a hit in four of the last five games.

Speaking of the outfield corners, Seiya Suzuki will move to DH with Taylor sliding into right field. Suzuki has been on fire lately, hitting .305 with 12 RBIs and 18 hits in hist last 15 games.

St. Louis Cardinals Lineup

1. JJ Wetherhold, 2B
2. Ivan Herrera, C
3. Alec Berleson, 1B
4. Jordan Walker, RF
5. Nathan Church, CF
6. Masyn Winn, SS
7. Bryan Torres, DH
8. Jose Fermín, LF
9. Cesar Prieto, 3B

On the Mound ...

Aug 8, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Clay Holmes (25) throws a pitch in the first inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Aiken-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Cubs – Clay Holmes, RHP

The Cubs lost the Clay Holmes trade. Fire Jed Hoyer.

In all seriousness, Clay Holmes deserves a couple of starts to lock back in. The former Mets' arm had a rough go in his debut, allowing 4 earned runs on six hits and only lasting 4.0 innings of work. There is no question that the Cubs are expecting more, but he's also someone who missed two full months of MLB action!

As if getting comfortable again on the mound wasn't tough enough, Holmes is now in an entirely new environment. We all know he has the stuff, so let's see if he can put together a better showing in his Wrigley Field debut.

The only concern might be that he allows his fair share of hard contact, and the Cardinals happen to rank sixth-best in that department. At the same time, this also tends to lead to plenty of ground balls, which we all know is Holmes' specialty!

Cardinals – Matthew Liberatore, LHP

The Cubs can get to Matthew Liberatore, and they know it. They have scored 3 earned runs on him in their last two outings against the lefty. To his credit, he can mix up his pitches well, but the Cubs are a very disciplined team that knows to wait for his heaters.

Liberatore is fresh off allowing nine hits to the Colorado Rockies, as well as giving up 5 earned runs before getting yanked.

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