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Apple TV+ will host Friday’s matchup between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs, with first pitch set for 2:20 p.m. ET at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois. Jack Flaherty (7-5, 4.29 ERA) will get the ball for the Cards, while the Cubs counter with All-Star lefty Justin Steele (9-3, 2.96).
So, uh, about that plan to be sellers at the trade deadline. After a disastrous first half for the Cardinals, GM John Mozeliak pledged to retool the roster with an eye toward fixing its dismal starting rotation come 2024. Except now, his team can’t stop winning: With a win in the series opener at Wrigley on Thursday, St. Louis has now reeled off six in a row and eight of their last nine. They’re still mired in fourth place in the NL Central at 44-53, 10 back of the Milwaukee Brewers in the loss column, but this is the squad many expected to see at the start of the season. The pitching is still an issue, but Steven Matz’s reemergence has been crucial alongside Jordan Montgomery, Jack Flaherty and Miles Mikolas, while Nolan Arenado, Paul Goldschmidt and Willson Contreras pace an offense that has the highest team OPS in baseball since July 1.
Their arch rivals, meanwhile, continue to take one step forward and one step back. Chicago hasn’t had a winning streak of longer than two games since mid-June, with an offense that remains frustratingly stuck in the middle and a rotation that’s heavily reliant on Marcus Stroman, Justin Steele and Kyle Hendricks pitching like stars every time out. Cody Bellinger has been turning it on of late, but other than that the Cubs simply haven’t gotten enough out of the rest of the top of their lineup — especially Nico Hoerner, Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki. At 45-51 and third in the Central, this appears to be simply who this team is, with enough talent to tantalize but too many holes to make a real run.
The Cubs enter as -130 favorites on the moneyline at DraftKings Sportsbook, with the Cardinals at +110. The run total is set at 8.5.
Cardinals vs. Cubs
Pitchers: Jack Flaherty vs. Justin Steele
First pitch: 2:20 p.m. ET
Cardinals local broadcast: N/A
Cubs local broadcast: N/A
Live stream: Apple TV+ website, Apple TV+ app
Moneyline odds: Cubs -130, Cardinals +110
To watch Friday’s Cardinals-Cubs matchup, you’ll need a subscription to Apple TV+, available for $4.99 per month. Occasionally, Apple will offer a free trial, so be sure to check out their website for available deals. Once you have a valid subscription, you can live stream the game on the Apple TV+ website or using the Apple TV+ app.