Updated

Updated · Bleed Cubbie Blue · Jul 4

Cubs Seek Series Split Against Cardinals as Imanaga Faces Leahy in 7:08 p.m. Start

Updated

Updated · Bleed Cubbie Blue · Jul 4

Cubs Seek Series Split Against Cardinals as Imanaga Faces Leahy in 7:08 p.m. Start

Q: With severe storms threatening Chicago, will America's 250th birthday see baseball or a rainout?

Baseball appears more likely than a rainout, though a delay was a real possibility. Chicago faced severe thunderstorm watches, flash-flood concerns and dangerous heat on July 4, with forecasts calling for storms in the afternoon and early evening. That put the Cubs-Cardinals game at Wrigley Field in doubt, especially with the watch running until around 7 p.m., essentially up to first pitch. But the available evidence points to the game going ahead. The matchup was scheduled for 7:05 p.m. CT, and multiple signs indicate it was played: the Cubs’ official site carried a game-specific Imanaga video for July 4, ESPN logged a Cardinals-at-Cubs entry after midnight, and betting and broadcast listings remained active for the game. Reports also suggested the worst weather could ease later in the evening, creating a window for baseball and the planned postgame fireworks. So the practical answer is that America’s 250th birthday in Chicago likely got baseball, not a full rainout. The weather threat was serious enough to make a postponement or in-game delay plausible, but there is no solid indication the game was canceled. The most likely scenario was a game played after storms shifted or with only a minor delay, similar to other weather-affected Cubs-Cardinals dates this season.

3 articles · Updated · Bleed Cubbie Blue · Jul 4

7:08 p.m. CT brings Chicago’s chance to even the series with St. Louis, with Shōta Imanaga starting for the Cubs against Cardinals right-hander Kyle Leahy.
Imanaga enters off a rebound stretch — 2.82 ERA and 1.075 WHIP over his last four starts — after a late-May slump that included a Cardinals outing with three homers allowed.
Leahy has also steadied, posting a 3.76 ERA over five starts since facing the Cubs on May 30, when he gave up one run on six hits in 4.1 innings.
30-20 in night games, the Cubs get a favorable split trend, but storms are again possible in Chicago and could affect the scheduled Fox regional telecast.