NL CENTRAL STANDINGS
| Team | W-L | GB | Strk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brewers | 34-20 | - | W4 |
| Cardinals | 30-25 | 4.5 | W1 |
| Cubs | 31-27 | 5.0 | L1 |
| Reds | 29-27 | 6.0 | L2 |
| Pirates | 30-28 | 6.0 | W1 |
RECENT RESULTS (LAST 10)
| Date | Opp | H/A | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 29 | CHC | Home | W 6-5 |
| 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) |
STARTING PITCHERS
Kyle Leahy (R) -- Cardinals
5-3, 4.44 ERA, 50.2 IP, 1.58 WHIP across 10 starts. Strikeouts: 42 (18.3% K rate, below the 22.1% league average). Walks: 22 (9.6% BB rate, above the 9.2% league mark). Ground balls: 56.3% (above the 47.4% league average) -- contact stays on the ground. 8 HR allowed across 50.2 IP. The 1.58 WHIP signals baserunners are a routine feature of his outings.
Ben Brown (R) -- Cubs
1-2, 2.01 ERA, 44.2 IP, 0.99 WHIP across 4 starts. Strikeouts: 47 (26.4% K rate, above the 22.1% league average). Walks: 14 (7.9% BB rate, below the 9.2% league mark). Ground balls: 58.1% (above the 47.4% league average). One home run allowed across 44.2 IP -- the cleanest contact-suppression profile in this matchup.
EXPECTED LINEUPS
Cardinals (Projected from 2026-05-29)
| # | Player | Pos | Bats | 2026 RISP AVG | 2026 RISP OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wetherholt | 2B | L | .308 | .867 |
| 2 | Herrera | DH | R | .220 | .748 |
| 3 | Burleson | 1B | L | .313 | .830 |
| 4 | Walker | RF | R | .297 | .996 |
| 5 | Gorman | 3B | L | .204 | .607 |
| 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 Brown. Walker's 2026 RISP line of .297/.387/.609/.996 across 75 PA is the Cardinals' top-end RISP profile. He bats right vs the right-handed Brown -- no platoon edge tonight, but the bat plays. Brown's counter is contact suppression: one HR allowed across 44.2 IP and a 58.1% GB rate (above the 47.4% league mark).
Burleson vs Brown. Burleson's .313/.361/.469/.830 RISP line across 72 PA is the Cardinals' best left-handed RISP option vs Brown's right arm -- platoon edge to the hitter. Brown's 7.9% BB rate (below the 9.2% league mark) closes the cheap-baserunner lane, so a hits-driven path is the more likely route.
Leahy vs Crow-Armstrong. PCA's 2026 RISP line of .296/.371/.463/.834 across 62 PA keeps him the Cubs' top RISP threat. He bats left vs the right-handed Leahy -- platoon edge to the hitter. Leahy's 56.3% GB rate (above the 47.4% league mark) is the counter, but the 1.58 WHIP means baserunners are likely to be on when PCA steps in.
-- Watchlist: Brown's strike profile. 26.4% K rate (above the 22.1% league average), 7.9% BB rate (below the 9.2% league average), 0.99 WHIP across 44.2 IP. The Cardinals must take their cuts at hittable pitches; free passes will be scarce.
-- Watchlist: Cubs RISP depth vs Leahy. Amaya .855 (29 PA), Kelly .852 (52 PA), Crow-Armstrong .834 (62 PA), Busch .800 (72 PA), Happ .768 (78 PA) -- five different bats above the .731 league RISP OPS benchmark. Leahy's 1.58 WHIP into that depth is the multi-run inning risk.
-- Watchlist: Bullpen freshness coming off Game 1. Bruihl, Graceffo, Soriano, Romero, and Stanek combined for 5.0 scoreless innings on Friday; only O'Brien (1.0 IP, 1 ER) gave back a run. The bridge arms are warm if Leahy needs an early hook.
QUICK REFERENCE -- IN-GAME QUERIES
1. How has Jordan Walker performed against Ben Brown in their career?
2. How has Kyle Leahy fared against Pete Crow-Armstrong in their career?
3. How has Iván Herrera performed against Daniel Palencia in their career?
4. What are Kyle Leahy'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