Salty Steve’s Newsletter
6/24/2025 Hi folks! Salty Steve here. Today’s post - Rival Series between the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals is Finally Here.
6/24/2025
Rival Series Between the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals is Finally Here
The Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals met at Busch Stadium last night for the first time this year. The Major League Baseball season is almost half over, and these two rivals finally played each other. The Cubs have only 85 games left this season, 13 of which they will play against the Cardinals.
On the offensive side, two players for the Cubs are on hot streaks. Ian Happ hit 4 home runs for the Cubs last week. Seiya Suzuki hit 3 home runs in that same span of time.
On the Cardinals’ side, only one player, Ivan Herrera, was really having a big offensive season. But he’s on the injured list and not eligible to return until after this series. However, Alec Burleson, Nolan Arenado, Brendan Donovan, and Willson Contreras have all hit well and fielded well in recent games.
Right-handed pitcher, Ben Brown started for the Cubs and left-hander Matthew Liberatore took the mound for the Cardinals in last night’s series opener.
There was no scoring in the first three innings of the game last night. Both pitchers, Brown and Liberatore, looked sharp early on by striking out batters and pitching to light contact.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, the Cardinals struck first. Willson Contreras doubled to left field and then Lars Nootbaar hit a home run to the right field seats to give the Cardinals a 2-0 lead. But in the top of the fifth inning, Pete Crow-Armstrong doubled on a sharp fly ball to center fielder Victor Scott II. Then ex-Cardinal catcher, Carson Kelly, singled on a line drive to center field that scored Crow-Armstrong. Before the 5th inning ended, the Cubs loaded the bases and threatened to do more damage, but Liberatore coaxed a double-play, and the Cubs failed to score any more runs.
In the sixth inning, Pedro Pages walked and Brendan Donovan followed with a no-doubter home run to the right field seats. Then it was time for Deja vu. Masyn Winn walked. Alec Burleson followed with a homer to the right field seats. The Cardinals led 6-1 at the completion of six innings.
Then, as Yogi Berra liked to say, “It was Deja vu all over again.” Nolan Arenado singled on a ground ball to left fielder Ian Happ. Then for the fourth time in the game, a 2-run homer was blasted to the outfield seats. This time it was Nolan Gorman who connected to hit the home run. Then Pedro Pagés singled on a line drive to left fielder Ian Happ. It looked like it was going to happen again, a fifth 2-run homer. But center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong robbed Brendan Donovan of hitting his second homer of the game, with an outstanding over-the-wall catch at the farthest point from home plate to center field at Busch Stadium.
With the Cardinals ahead 8-2, Riley O’Brien came in the game to pitch the eighth inning in relief of starting pitcher Matthew Liberatore. Liberatore pitched outstanding, allowing 6 hits and only 1 walk. He had 5 strikeouts. O’Brien allowed a single, but retired the other 3 batters he faced.
Roddery Muñoz, called up from the AAA Memphis Redbirds today, came into the game to replace O’Brien and pitch the ninth inning. He allowed one base runner, but retired the other 3 batters he faced. “Deja vu all over again.”
Final score, St. Louis Cardinals 8 - Chicago Cubs 2.
