ST. LOUIS (Interstat) — The Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals meet Tuesday night at Busch Stadium III, with both teams seeking to gain ground in the National League Central. First pitch is set for 7:15 p.m. CT under a forecast of 90 degrees and rain.

Chicago (59-46) enters with the second-best record in the division, but comes off a 7-8 loss Sunday at Pittsburgh. The Cubs continue a four-game series at St. Louis after Monday’s game was postponed due to weather. The Cubs have won three of their last four games overall.

Right-hander Aaron Civale, who worked two scoreless innings of relief Sunday, will see a larger role. Over his past two outings, Civale has allowed one hit and struck out five in 4.1 innings. Seiya Suzuki homered Sunday and is the Cubs’ most productive hitter in recent games.

St. Louis (53-52) sits six games behind Chicago and has lost three of its last four. The Cardinals dropped a 10-inning decision Sunday to Cincinnati. Right-hander Kyle Leahy is a key arm to watch. Leahy pitched six innings Sunday, allowing two earned runs with nine strikeouts. His recent stretch includes a win July 4 at Chicago, where he tossed five shutout innings with six strikeouts. In four appearances since July 10, Leahy has a 1.80 ERA with 21 strikeouts in 20 innings.

The series has been lopsided in 2026. The Cardinals won three of four at Wrigley Field in July, including a 17-1 rout July 3. But Chicago took two of three at Busch Stadium in May. The teams will also play Wednesday and Thursday before Chicago hosts the New York Yankees for a weekend series. St. Louis travels to Toronto following the series.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a 6-3 Cubs victory.