Cubs vs. Cardinals Lineup: No Swanson, Will Suzuki Stay Hot? Boyd Starts, More

The Chicago Cubs will get a chance to face a Cardinals pitcher they had a lot of success against only a few weeks back.

Aug 13, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson (7) in the dugout before the game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Chicago Cubs put together a balanced performance on Tuesday. Clay Holmes looked a lot better in his second game as a Cub, throwing 6.2 innings of one-hit baseball. Craig Counsell would then turn to the bullpen, holding the Cardinals to just two more hits to secure the 3-0 win.

The offense may not have been humming, but the Cubs still leaned on one of their best bats to get the job done. Seiya Suzuki hit a homer and a double to bring in all three runs. Michael Busch, Nico Hoerner, Carson Kelly, and Dansby Swanson were also able to hit their way on base.

Can they withstand the rainy elements and do it all again this afternoon?

Game Info

Who: St. Louis Cardinals (61-61) vs. Chicago Cubs (72-51)
Where: Wrigley Field
When: 1:20 PM CT
Watch: Marquee Sports Network
Listen: 104.3 The Score, TUDN, WPPN 106.7 / TUDN

Chicago Cubs Lineup

1. Pete Crow-Armstrong, CF
2. Seiya Suzuki, DH
3. Michael Busch, 1B
4. Alex Bregman, 3B
5. Ian Happ, LF
6. Nico Hoerner, SS
7. Pedro Ramírez, 2B
8. Michael Conforto, DH
9. Miguel Amaya, C

The Chicago Cubs will switch back to a pretty typical look against a right-hander. Michael Busch is bumped back into the three-hole, while Alex Bregman will suit up at cleanup.

Michael Conforto is also back at DH and will remain near the bottom of the order. While Conforto has had his moments this year, there is no question that the last couple of weeks have been rough. He's hitting just .189 in his last 15 games with 14 strikeouts. If the plan is to continue leaning on him against righties as long as Matt Shaw is out, the Cubs need to see some more production.

Rookie Pedro Ramírez is also back and playing second base after sitting Friday. This will push Nico Hoerner to shortstop and give Dansby Swanson a day to rest. Craig Counsell has seemingly been looking for opportunities to give his guys a break as the postseason looms.

St. Louis Cardinals Lineup

1. JJ Wetherhold, 2B
2. Ivan Herrera, C
3. Jordan Walker, RF
4. Alec Burleson, 1B
5. Joshua Báez, LF
6. Masyn Winn, SS
7. Blaze Jordan, 3B
8. Everson Pereira, CF
9. Pedro Pagés, C

On the Mound ...

Jul 29, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Matthew Boyd (16) pitches against the St. Louis Cardinals in the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Puetz-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Cubs – Matthew Boyd, LHP

After a fantastic few weeks, Matthew Boyd came back down to earth over his last few starts. He's allowed a combined 6 earned runs and is coming off a performance where he walked three batters. At the same time, he's still been one of the team's most dependable arms, consistently going deep into games and keeping them from burning the bullpen.

In his last outing against the Cardinals, Boyd was excellent. He held them to just 4 hits with no runs and five Ks on July 29. A repeat of that would have his team very happy!

Cardinals – Michael McGreevy, RHP

Michael McGreevy is a ground ball guy who isn't going to throw many pitches outside the strike zone. With that said, this obviously means he gives opponents plenty of balls to hit, which the Cubs took complete advantage of on July 28. They put up eight hits and 7 runs on McGreevy, forcing him out of the game in just 1.2 innings of work!

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