Cardinals vs Braves Preview: Young Arms Face Elite Pen, Big Bat Returns

The Cardinals just beat the Braves 5-3 yesterday. St. Louis scored big in the fourth inning when Church smashed a home run over the right field wall. Velázquez also went deep to center. The Cardinals kept swinging hard and adding runs. Now they face Reynaldo Lopez on Wednesday. Lopez is pitching lights out with a 1.28 ERA. He's an All-Star pitcher who's been nearly perfect. The Cardinals need their young pitchers to match Lopez's energy. Michael McGreevy takes the mound for St. Louis. Can the Cardinals keep their winning streak alive?

Atlanta has lost three straight games and is only 3-7 in their last ten. That's tough for a team sitting at 49-34. The good news? The Braves have ace pitching and experience. Reynaldo Lopez gives them a huge advantage on the mound today. He's coming in hot with that 1.28 ERA and ten strikeouts. Lopez pitched for multiple teams before landing in Atlanta. He made the All-Star game last year. The Braves need to snap their losing streak at home. Truist Park has been solid ground for them at 24-15. Lopez's arm could be the spark they need.

St. Louis is counting on young arms to step up. Matthew Liberatore and Dustin May carry huge responsibility in this rotation. They have serious talent but need to prove themselves in big games. The Cardinals sit at 44-38 and are trying to get back in the playoff fight. They just won two straight. This is where young pitchers show what they're made of. Going up against Lopez's elite stuff is a perfect test. St. Louis doesn't have one ace right now. Their strength comes from multiple pitchers executing well together. McGreevy gets his shot to shine. The Cardinals' season depends on moments just like this one.