The St. Louis Cardinals enter Sunday’s rivalry finale against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field with a 70–69 record and a clear sense of urgency as they look to gain ground in a tightly contested NL Central race before the All-Star break. After a rocky start to the season, the Cardinals have clawed their way back to respectability with improved pitching, more consistent run production, and a much-needed stretch of better defensive play. The resurgence has been spearheaded by veteran right-hander Sonny Gray, who leads the rotation with a 3.91 ERA and 168 strikeouts, giving the club a reliable presence at the top of the staff in every fifth-day matchup. Gray’s ability to command the zone, attack hitters with a sharp breaking ball, and minimize big innings has helped stabilize what was once a shaky staff, and he’ll be instrumental if the Cardinals want to steal a road win in one of the league’s toughest environments. At the plate, St. Louis has leaned on Alec Burleson, whose team-best 21 home runs and 70 RBIs have provided crucial power in the middle of the order. Burleson’s emergence as a legitimate run producer has taken some pressure off aging veterans like Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado, who’ve both endured inconsistent stretches, and given manager Oliver Marmol some lineup flexibility. Masyn Winn and Willson Contreras have also chipped in with quality at-bats and timely hits, helping the Cardinals generate more runs even in low-scoring, pitching-heavy contests.

But what’s most impressed during their recent uptick has been the team’s ability to hang in close games—a byproduct of better bullpen performance and smarter situational baseball. Giovanny Gallegos and JoJo Romero have given the Cardinals some breathing room in late innings, and Ryan Helsley has found his groove again as the closer, flashing elite strikeout stuff and better command. Even so, inconsistency remains a concern, particularly on the road where the Cardinals have struggled to maintain offensive momentum and capitalize with runners in scoring position. Defensively, they’ve cleaned up the errors that plagued them earlier in the year, but playing at Wrigley—where wild hops and unpredictable wind conditions are always a factor—will test their composure. The Cardinals have split their last ten meetings with the Cubs, suggesting this series finale could go either way, and with both teams evenly matched in many respects, the margin for error will be razor thin. For St. Louis, the key to success will be jumping on Shota Imanaga early before he settles into a rhythm, and then turning the game over to a bullpen that has been far more effective in the past three weeks than it was in April or May. A win on Sunday wouldn’t just take the series—it would give the Cardinals an emotional lift heading into the break and reinforce their status as a legitimate second-half threat in the division. In a rivalry steeped in history and intensity, Sunday’s game will be less about records and more about who can execute in the spotlight, and the Cardinals are showing signs that they’re ready for that challenge.