Cardinals Open Three-Game Road Series Against Braves

Cardinals Open Three-Game Road Series Against Braves 
The Cardinal Chronicle
St. Louis, MO
By Ray Mileur

The St. Louis Cardinals open a pivotal three-game road series tonight against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park, aiming to shake off a recent slump and seize momentum against one of the National League’s more formidable clubs.

St. Louis enters the series at 43-38, while Atlanta comes in at 49-33. The Braves lead the NL East, but they are not exactly rolling into this series with everything clicking. Atlanta has dropped seven of its last 10 games, giving the Cardinals a chance to catch a good team at a vulnerable time.

For the Cardinals, this series can either deepen the frustration or reset the tone for July. Atlanta brings power, pitching and the experience to punish mistakes, but the Braves are also scuffling and searching for a cleaner brand of baseball.

The Cardinals need to take advantage.

Series Schedule
Tuesday, June 30 — 6:15 p.m. CT
St. Louis Cardinals at Atlanta Braves
LHP Matthew Liberatore, 3-5, 5.56 ERA, 70 SO vs. LHP Martín Pérez, 6-4, 3.00 ERA, 60 SO
TV: Cardinals.TV
Radio: KMOX
Location: Truist Park

Wednesday, July 1 — 6:15 p.m. CT
St. Louis Cardinals at Atlanta Braves
RHP Michael McGreevy, 3-6, 3.12 ERA, 57 SO vs. RHP Reynaldo López, 3-1, 3.47 ERA, 40 SO
TV: Cardinals.TV
Radio: KMOX
Location: Truist Park

Thursday, July 2 — 6:15 p.m. CT
St. Louis Cardinals at Atlanta Braves
RHP Dustin May, 5-6, 4.30 ERA, 77 SO vs. Atlanta starter TBA
TV: Cardinals.TV
Radio: KMOX
Location: Truist Park

Atlanta’s official probable pitchers list has Pérez and López lined up for the first two games, while Thursday’s starter remains listed as TBA.

Liberatore Opens the Series Seeking Stability
Matthew Liberatore gets the ball tonight for St. Louis, and the Cardinals need him to set a better tone than his season numbers suggest.

Liberatore enters at 3-5 with a 5.56 ERA, and this is not an easy assignment. The Braves may be scuffling, but Truist Park is not the place to bring mistakes up in the zone. Atlanta’s lineup can still turn a game with one swing, especially if Liberatore gives away free baserunners ahead of the middle of the order.

The key for Liberatore is simple: attack the zone, trust his defense and avoid the big inning. He does not need to be perfect, but he must be competitive early, giving the Cardinals a chance to reach Atlanta’s bullpen without playing from behind.

On the other side, Martín Pérez gives Atlanta a veteran left-hander who has been steady. Pérez enters at 6-4 with a 3.00 ERA, and his ability to manage contact will test a Cardinals lineup that cannot afford sleepy early innings.

McGreevy Draws the Tough Middle Game
Michael McGreevy takes the mound Wednesday night in what may be the most important matchup of the series for St. Louis.

McGreevy enters at 3-6, but his 3.12 ERA tells a better story than the win-loss record. He has been one of the steadier arms in the Cardinals’ rotation, giving them competitive innings and keeping them in games even when the offense has not always done its part.

His assignment against Atlanta is about tempo and control. McGreevy has to keep the Braves from sitting on pitches in hitter’s counts. He does not have to overpower them, but he does have to locate, change speeds and force Atlanta to earn its offense one base at a time.

Reynaldo López counters for Atlanta, bringing a 3-1 record and 3.47 ERA into the game. López may be the toughest starter the Cardinals see in this series, with enough power and movement to make life uncomfortable if St. Louis expands the zone.

Dustin May Gets the Finale
Dustin May is scheduled to start Thursday night’s series finale for the Cardinals.

May enters at 5-6 with a 4.30 ERA and 77 strikeouts, and he remains one of the more intriguing arms on the staff because the raw stuff still gives him a chance to dominate when everything is synced up. The Cardinals need the version of May that works ahead, keeps the ball on the ground and controls the pace.

Atlanta has not officially announced its Thursday starter. That matters. It could change how the Cardinals line up the bench, how they approach early matchups and how aggressive they are with left-right decisions late in the game.

For now, the only certainty is May for St. Louis and a TBA for Atlanta.

Cardinals Need Their Offense to Travel
The Cardinals’ offense has gone missing too often on the road lately, making run support unpredictable.

That cannot happen in Atlanta.

The Braves are too good to let them settle in. St. Louis needs pressure from the top of the order, traffic on the bases and productive at-bats from the middle of the lineup. This is not a series where solo home runs and scattered singles are likely to be enough.

Jordan Walker remains one of the biggest keys. When Walker is driving the baseball, the entire lineup looks different. JJ Wetherholt’s bat-to-ball skills and athleticism can put pressure on defenses, especially in a park where extra-base hits can quickly change an inning.

The Cardinals do not need to slug their way through Atlanta. But they do need to compete pitch to pitch and avoid giving away early scoring chances.

Braves Are Wounded, Not Harmless
This is a dangerous spot if the Cardinals misread it.

Atlanta has been struggling, dropping seven of its last 10 games, and the Braves have not looked like the same club that built a strong first-half position in the NL East. Still, this is a first-place team with enough firepower to wake up quickly.

Matt Olson remains the centerpiece power threat. Michael Harris II, Ozzie Albies and Drake Baldwin give Atlanta plenty of ways to pressure a pitching staff. The Braves do not need to be at full strength to be dangerous. They just need the Cardinals to make mistakes.

That is the caution for this series.

The Cardinals may be catching Atlanta at the right time, but they still have to play clean baseball. Extra outs, walks and missed chances will travel a long way against this lineup.

Series Storyline: Opportunity Disguised as a Test
On paper, this looks like a tough road series. In reality, it is also an opportunity.

The Cardinals are not catching Atlanta at its best. The Braves are scuffling, their rotation is not set with Chris Sale in the series, and Thursday’s pitching remains unsettled. That does not make the series easy, but it does make it winnable.

For St. Louis, the path is straightforward.

Get competitive starts from Liberatore, McGreevy and May. Make Pérez and López work. Do not let Atlanta’s offense build early momentum. Win the situational at-bats. Protect the baseball defensively. Get the ball to the late-inning arms with a lead.

Nothing fancy.

Baseball is still played on grass, not spreadsheets.

This is the kind of series that can help the Cardinals stop drifting and start pushing again. Atlanta may be wounded, but it is still Atlanta. If St. Louis wants to be taken seriously as July begins, this is a good place to start proving it.

The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports & MiLB Today
Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, and Projecting the Future.

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Photo Credit: Matthew Liberatore, St. Louis Cardinals | Peter Aiken-Imagn Images