Cubs vs. Cardinals Lineup: Shaking Off Last Night, Suzuki at DH, Imanaga, More

The Chicago Cubs made some bizarre history on Friday night, becoming the first team since 1894 to lose a game by +15 after winning a game by +15.

Will tonight feature some more fireworks, or will this pitching matchup rain on the parade? If one thing is for sure, this remains a crucial series for a Cubs squad trying to regain their footing in a heated NL postseason race.

Game Info

Who: Chicago Cubs (49-39) at St. Louis Cardinals (46-39)
Where: Wrigley Field
When: 7:08 p.m. CT
Watch: Marquee Sports Network
Listen: 104.3 The Score, Univision TUDN, WPPN 106.7 / TUDN

Chicago Cubs Lineup

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

Let's just hope yesterday wasn't the Cubs reverting to their May and early-June ways. The offense was about as cold as it gets, finishing 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position and mustering a modest seven hits.

With the wind blowing in and Kyle Leahy pitching well as of late, it's possible that we're in store for another quiet night. But, aside from last night's stinker, the Cubs' offense has certainly looked like a team capable of giving any arm a hard time.

The team will be going with the same exact lineup on Saturday night, for what it's worth. The only change is that Seiya Suzuki will get the night off in right and take over DH duties. This will put Conforto in the field, but he will remain in the seven-hole. While the same look would normally feel like a surprising decision after such a beatdown, it's the right move. After all, it's the identical order that put up 23 runs on July 1!

St. Louis Cardinals

1. JJ Wetherholt, 2B
2. Ivan Herrera, C
3. Jordan Walker, RF
4. Alec Burleson, 1B
5. Masyn Winn, SS
6. José Fermín, LF
7. Lars Nootbaar, LF
8. Pedro Pagés, C
9. Nathan Church, CF

On the Mound ...

Jun 29, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher Shota Imanaga (18) celebrates after ending the top of the sixth inning against the San Diego Padres at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Cubs – Shota Imanaga, LHP

Shota Imanaga's 2026 has left something to be desired. He comes into today's game with a 4.30 ERA over his 17 starts, allowing a concerning 20 home runs. With that said, he's at least looked better in recent weeks, only allowing 2 earned runs in his last performance and lasting 6.1 innings. It was his longest outing since May 13.

The good news with Imanaga is that he continues to limit his walks and forces teams to chase at an elite rate. The bad news is that he gives teams plenty of balls to put in the air, and the Cardinals also happen to be pretty good at making contact when chasing. In fact, the Cards strike out the third-fewest of any team in the league. That could be a concern against Imanaga.

Cardinals – Kyle Leahy, RHP

Kyle Leahy has been solid in his first full year as a starter, and this included a strong day against the Cubs back on May 30. He held the team to just 1 earned run in 4.1 innings with 4 strikeouts. As someone who likes to lean on a fair share of breaking balls, he likely will give this Cubs lineup some trouble.

Speaking of which, Leahy has been especially effective over his last handful of games. After allowing 3 runs to the Padres, he proceeded to throw 11.1 innings of work with only five hits and 1 run. Leahy will induce a good number of ground balls, but he will also give up plenty of hard contact. Let's hope the latter works in the Cubs' favor, even with the wind blowing in.

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