Cardinals vs Cubs Preview: Young arms take the hill in Week 67

St. Louis walked into Wrigley Field and put on a hitting clinic. The Cardinals demolished the Cubs 17-1 on Thursday, with bats flying everywhere. Church blasted a two-run homer. Winn crushed a three-run shot to left-center. Fermín doubled. Burleson drove in runs. It was total offensive chaos for Chicago. Now Matthew Liberatore steps up as the Cardinals' probable starter for Sunday. Young Liberatore is carrying big responsibility on his shoulders for St. Louis. The Cardinals need their young arms to prove they can be trusted in important games. This is his chance to dominate at Wrigley.

The Cubs are sending Javier Assad to the mound for Sunday. Assad is a veteran Mexican pitcher who knows how to compete. He's posted a strong 3.07 ERA this season with twelve strikeouts. That's solid stuff when you need a reliable arm on the bump. Chicago sits at 49-39 with 26 wins at home. The Cubs know they're facing a Cardinals team that just exploded offensively. Assad will need to be sharp with his fastball and breaking balls. He's got the experience to slow down St. Louis's hot bats. This is Assad's chance to bounce back after the 17-1 loss.

Both teams are riding their young pitchers into battle. St. Louis counts on arms like Matthew Liberatore to develop into long-term stars. Chicago trusts veterans like Assad to anchor the rotation. The Cardinals need solid starts from multiple pitchers to climb back into the playoff picture. The Cubs want consistency to support their defense and lineup depth. Neither team has one single dominant ace they can rely on. Both squads built around balance and execution matter more than one superstar. Sunday's game tests whether these young arms can deliver when the pressure is on.