St. Louis Cardinals vs Chicago Cubs
⚡ Alternating good/bad starts
Projected sample — season splits vs pitcher hand, not official order.
Projected sample — season splits vs pitcher hand, not official order.
St. Louis Cardinals at Chicago Cubs (2026-08-14). Matthew Liberatore vs Clay Holmes at Wrigley Field.
Starters — Liberatore has a 5.15 ERA and 1.52 WHIP across 113.2 innings, with 8.71 K/9, 3.4 BB/9, and 1.58 HR/9. His last three starts were uneven: 5 ER in 5.0 innings on Aug. 8, 0 ER in 6.0 innings on Aug. 2, and 3 ER in 3.2 innings on July 27. The overall trend is down, and the home-run rate remains a concern. Holmes has a 2.86 ERA and 1.16 WHIP in 56.2 innings, with 7.31 K/9, 3.18 BB/9, and 0.64 HR/9. His last three starts were 4 ER in 4.0 innings on Aug. 8, 4 ER in 4.1 innings on May 15, and 2 ER in 5.2 innings on May 9. The trend is listed as up, supported by the strong full-season run prevention and low HR rate, though the recent workload sample is limited.
Teams — St. Louis enters with a .695 OPS, 529 runs scored, a .241 average, and a 4.07 team ERA with a 1.34 WHIP. The Cardinals are 7-3 over their last 10, which suggests better recent form than their season-long offensive profile. Chicago brings a .757 OPS, 634 runs scored, a .249 average, and a 4.10 team ERA with a 1.26 WHIP. The Cubs are 8-2 in their last 10 and hold the clearer edge in season-long lineup production, while also carrying the better staff WHIP.
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