NL CENTRAL STANDINGS
| Team | W-L | GB | Strk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brewers | 33-20 | - | W3 |
| Cubs | 31-26 | 4.0 | W2 |
| Cardinals | 29-25 | 4.5 | L4 |
| Reds | 29-26 | 5.0 | L1 |
| Pirates | 29-28 | 6.0 | L2 |
RECENT RESULTS (LAST 10)
| Date | Opp | H/A | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 27 | MIL | Away | L 1-2 |
| May 26 | MIL | Away | L 0-6 |
| May 25 | MIL | Away | L 1-5 |
| May 23 | CIN | Away | L 0-0 |
| May 23 | CIN | Away | W 8-1 |
| May 23 | CIN | Away | L 6-7 (11) |
| May 21 | PIT | Home | L 2-6 |
| May 20 | PIT | Home | L 0-7 |
| May 19 | PIT | Home | W 9-6 (10) |
| May 17 | KC | Home | L 0-2 |
STARTING PITCHERS
Andre Pallante (R) -- Cardinals
5-4, 3.76 ERA, 55.0 IP, 1.25 WHIP across 10 starts. Strikeouts: 43 (18.5% K rate, below the 22.1% league average). Walks: 20 (8.6% BB rate, modestly below the 9.3% league mark). Ground balls: 59.3% (well above the 47.4% league average) -- contact stays on the ground. 7 HR allowed across 55.0 IP.
Shota Imanaga (L) -- Cubs
4-5, 4.04 ERA, 64.2 IP, 1.07 WHIP across 11 starts. Strikeouts: 67 (25.7% K rate, above the 22.1% league average). Walks: 17 (6.5% BB rate, well below the 9.3% league average). Ground balls: 41.9% (below the 47.4% league average) -- more fly balls in the contact mix. 10 HR allowed across 64.2 IP.
EXPECTED LINEUPS
Cardinals (Projected from 2026-05-27)
| # | Player | Pos | Bats | 2026 RISP AVG | 2026 RISP OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wetherholt | 2B | L | .308 | .867 |
| 2 | Herrera | DH | R | .225 | .764 |
| 3 | Burleson | 1B | L | .317 | .842 |
| 4 | Walker | RF | R | .302 | 1.011 |
| 5 | Gorman | 3B | L | .212 | .629 |
| 6 | Winn | SS | R | .178 | .512 |
| 7 | Church | CF | L | -- | -- |
| 8 | Saggese | LF | R | .158 | .411 |
| 9 | Pagés | C | R | .121 | .379 |
Handedness: 5 RHB (Herrera, Walker, Winn, Saggese, Pagés), 4 LHB (Wetherholt, Burleson, Gorman, Church).
Cubs (From active roster)
13 players listed from active roster pool. Actual game lineup will be 9 from this group.
| Player | Pos | Bats |
|---|---|---|
| Bregman | 3B | R |
| Kelly | C | R |
| Swanson | SS | R |
| Happ | LF | S |
| Alcántara | RF | R |
| Busch | 1B | L |
| Conforto | RF | L |
| Amaya | C | R |
| Ballesteros | DH | L |
| Hoerner | 2B | R |
| Ramírez | 2B | S |
| Crow-Armstrong | CF | L |
| Suzuki | RF | R |
Handedness: 7 RHB (Bregman, Kelly, Swanson, Alcántara, Amaya, Hoerner, Suzuki), 4 LHB (Busch, Conforto, Ballesteros, Crow-Armstrong).
INJURIES & ROSTER NOTES
No injury or roster-move data is available for today.
KEY MATCHUPS & WATCHLIST
Walker vs Imanaga. Walker's 1.011 OPS with runners in scoring position (74 PA, .302/.392/.619) is the Cardinals' highest-impact RISP profile. He bats right vs the left-handed Imanaga -- platoon edge to the hitter. If Burleson reaches in front of him, Walker's spot is the clearest multi-run inning path the Cardinals have tonight.
Pallante vs Crow-Armstrong. PCA's 2026 RISP line of .296/.371/.463/.834 across 62 PA makes him the Cubs' top RISP threat. He bats left vs the right-handed Pallante -- platoon edge to the hitter. Pallante's counter is the 59.3% GB rate; the at-bat ends in a double-play ball or escalates the inning.
Wetherholt vs Imanaga. Wetherholt leads off as a left-handed bat -- platoon disadvantage vs the lefty. His .431 OBP with RISP (51 PA) shows discipline, but Imanaga's 25.7% K rate and 6.5% BB rate close the cheap-baserunner lane. First-inning at-bats set the tone for whether the Cardinals work counts or chase.
-- Watchlist: Four-game losing streak. May 25-27 in Milwaukee: 1 run, 0 runs, 1 run scored. The offense is in a drought. Friday is the reset window at home.
-- Watchlist: Imanaga K rate vs Cardinals LHB. 25.7% K rate is above the 22.1% league average. Wetherholt, Burleson, Gorman, and Church all take the platoon disadvantage. The five right-handed bats -- Herrera, Walker, Winn, Saggese, Pagés -- carry tonight's offense.
-- Watchlist: Pallante's ground-ball script. 59.3% GB% is well above the 47.4% league average. Watch for early double plays against the Cubs' left-handed contact bats (Busch, Conforto, Ballesteros, Crow-Armstrong).
QUICK REFERENCE -- IN-GAME QUERIES
1. How has Jordan Walker performed against Shota Imanaga in their career?
2. How has Andre Pallante fared against Pete Crow-Armstrong in their career?
3. How has Iván Herrera performed against Daniel Palencia in their career?
4. What are Andre Pallante's third-time-through-the-order splits in 2025?
5. What are Michael Busch's splits vs RHP in 2025?
6. How often does Hoby Milner strand inherited runners in 2025?
7. What is the home run park factor at Busch Stadium in 2025?
700 CLARK -- POWERED BY BASES.CHAT | HISTORICAL DATA THROUGH 2025