The Chicago Cubs make the trip down to Busch Stadium on Thursday, July 30 for a 2:15 PM ET first pitch against the St. Louis Cardinals, with right-hander Javier Assad taking the ball opposite Cardinals starter Andre Pallante. This is a divisional game that carries genuine weight — Cubs-Cardinals always does — and with the NL Central race something worth watching deep into summer, Chicago cannot afford to spot St. Louis anything in head-to-head play. Coverage is available on Marquee Sports Network and 104.3 The Score for Cubs fans.

Starting Pitchers: Javier Assad vs. Andre Pallante

Assad gets the nod for Chicago in a spot that matters. The right-hander has shown the ability to generate weak contact and work deep into games, and a divisional road start is exactly the kind of assignment that can define a pitcher's place in the rotation conversation. Assad will need to manage a Cardinals lineup that has some real pop in the middle — Alec Burleson at first, Iván Herrera catching and hitting cleanup, and Lars Nootbaar lurking in the five-hole.

Pallante takes the mound for St. Louis and gives the Cardinals a ground-ball-oriented arm who can be difficult to square up when his sinker is working. The Cubs have faced him enough times to know he is not going to beat himself. Assad and Pallante are a well-matched pairing — two pitchers who rely on contact management rather than pure strikeout stuff. The team that executes better on both sides of the ball wins this one.

Cubs Lineup at Busch Stadium

• Pete Crow-Armstrong, CF
• Seiya Suzuki, DH
• Michael Busch, 1B
• Alex Bregman, 3B
• Ian Happ, LF
• Nico Hoerner, 2B
• Michael Conforto, RF
• Carson Kelly, C
• Dansby Swanson, SS

Three Keys to Watch for the Cubs

1. Crow-Armstrong Setting the Tone at the Top

Pete Crow-Armstrong leading off is the engine of this Cubs offense. When PCA is on base and using his speed, the entire lineup operates differently. Pallante works fast and attacks early in counts — Crow-Armstrong needs to make him work and find a way on base in his first at-bat to put immediate pressure on the St. Louis defense.

2. Bregman and the Middle of the Order Delivering

Alex Bregman hitting cleanup is a significant statement about where the Cubs are as an offense. With Seiya Suzuki and Michael Busch hitting ahead of him, the Cardinals cannot simply pitch around anyone in the heart of this lineup. If Pallante gets into trouble early and the Cubs string together quality at-bats from Suzuki through Bregman, this game can open up fast.

3. Assad Limiting the Cardinals' Top of the Order

JJ Wetherholt leads off for St. Louis, Jordan Walker hits second, and Burleson is immediately behind them. Assad has to keep the Cardinals from stringing together baserunners in the early innings. Busch Stadium crowds can get loud in a hurry if the Cardinals put up a crooked number before the game settles in. Assad staying ahead in counts is the single biggest factor in keeping this game manageable.

Prediction

This is a tight divisional game between two pitchers who are going to make the opposing lineup earn every run. The Cubs lineup top to bottom has enough firepower that one big inning — even against a pitcher as reliable as Pallante — is always in play. Assad pitches six solid innings, Bregman drives in a pair, and the Cubs bullpen closes it out. Cubs 4, Cardinals 2.