Sonny Gray #54 and Pedro Pagés #43 of the St. Louis Cardinals walk into the dugout. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)
Here is some info on where to watch and what to expect for the primetime game on Sunday, May 26.
ESPN will host Sunday Night Baseball all season.
Chicago Cubs (27-25) @ St. Louis Cardinals (24-26), 7:00 pm EST, ESPN
Odds: Cardinals -135 (ESPNBet)
Probable Starters: Javier Assad (CHC) 4-0, 1.70 ERA vs. Sonny Gray (STL) 6-2, 2.87 ERA
Preview: The Cardinals started the season slow but have turned things around in May. They have won eight of their last ten games and have climbed within striking distance of the division lead. Even after this turnaround, they still have the third-worst run differential in the NL. Perennial All-Star Paul Goldschmidt has been bad, batting just above .200 with only four home runs and 17 RBIs.
Sonny Gray, aka Pickles, signed a three-year deal worth $75 million with the Cardinals this past offseason. The 34-year-old started the season on the shelf but has had a strong start to his 2024 campaign, especially at home. He’s gone 3-1 in four starts at home with an ERA of 1.13. He’s been dominant the first two times through the order but has struggled the deeper he’s gone into games. The third time through the order, batters are hitting .333 against Gray this year with two home runs and 11 RBIs.
The Cubs have been on the opposite trajectory. Still sitting only 3.5 games back from the Brewers in the NL Central, the Cubs have gone 3-7 in their last ten, including losing Saturday’s game against the Cardinals 7-6. The Pirates swept them last weekend and are at risk of being swept once again in this two-game set this weekend.
Cubs starter Javier Assad has not given up more than two earned runs in any of his starts this year. He’s been great so far in 2024, holding opponents to a .202 batting average. His lone start against the Cardinals came in 2022 when he went four innings without allowing a run.
Prediction: This will be a low-scoring affair against two of the hottest pitchers in the National League. This game is a coin flip, but I’ll take the home team and hope they stay hot.
Cardinals Win
