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Pallante takes the hill at 1:15 p.m. Thursday in the finale of a four-game series vs. the Cubs at Busch Stadium.

¶Ù±ð²õ±è¾±³Ù±ðÌýWednesday's blowout loss, the Cardinals are seeking the series win, having won the first two.

The Cardinals and Pallante hope he can continue a recent resurgence after struggling for a big chunk of the season to date.

Following a nine-game stretch in which he limped to a 5.80 ERA, Pallante has looked far better in recent outings with a 2.76 mark in his last three.

Pallante, in the rough patch, ranked worst among qualified MLB starters in ERA. In his last three, Pallante has the best ERA among Cardinals starters.

Opponents hit .331 vs. his fastball in those nine poor games, a number he has lowered to .206 in his last three starts.

Pallante achieved that by throwing both his four-seamer and sinker less while leaning slightly more on the slider and knuckle-curve.

The Cubs present a tough challenge for Pallante, who needs to keep the ball on the ground to achieve success. Chicago, in addition to being one of the league's top offenses, is one of its leaders in damage on pulled fly balls, and when Pallante permits that type of contact, things go south quickly for him.

In three career starts vs. the Cubs, Pallante has a 3.38 ERA.

For the Cubs, left-hander Shota Imanaga (3-2, 2.82 ERA) will make his Busch Stadium debut.

The All-Star has been out with a hamstring strain since May 5.

The split-finger, Imanaga's second-most-thrown pitch, is something the Cardinals haven't seen a whole lot of. ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ has seen 311 splitters in 2025, the third-fewest in baseball. The Redbirds' .181 batting average against splitters is fifth-worst in baseball.

Nolan Arenado (.400 batting average), Brendan Donovan (.333) and Alec Burleson (.308) have been most productive against that pitch in 2025.

Lars Nootbaar has seen the most splitters (48) and is hitless. He is out of the lineup after receiving an anti-inflammatory shot to proactively address pain in his rib cage. He’s in a stretch of 48 hours inactivity.

The Cardinals are 44-37, third in the National League Central and 3 1/2 games behind Chicago.

The Cubs are 47-33 and Wednesday's win was just their third in the last eight games.

How to watch Cardinals vs. Cubs

When: 1:15 p.m. Thursday

Where: Busch Stadium in ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½

TV/radio: FanDuel Sports Network Midwest (); KMOX (1120 AM and 104.1 FM), other stations in the as well as .

Your options to watch: Input your ZIP code and see your choices for watching Cardinals games.

Lineups

CARDINALS

1. Brendan Donovan, LF

2. Masyn Winn, SS

3. Alec Burleson, RF

4. Willson Contreras, 1B

5. Nolan Arenado, 3B

6. Thomas Saggese, 2B

7. Nolan Gorman, DH

8. Pedro Pagés, C

9. Garrett Hampson, CF

P: Andre Pallante, RHP

CUBS

1. Ian Happ, LF

2. Kyle Tucker, DH

3. Seiya Suzuki, RF

4. Pete Crow-Armstrong, CF

5. Dansby Swanson, SS

6. Michael Busch, 1B

7. Carson Kelly, C

8. Nico Hoerner, 2B

9. Matt Shaw, 3B

P: Shota Imanaga, RHP

Injury report

Lars Nootbaar, OF (rib cage pain): He received an anti-inflammatory shot to proactively address pain in his rib cage. He is out of the lineup for the second straight day as he’s in a stretch of 48 hours of inactivity. The Cardinals plan for him to return the lineup Friday in Cleveland. Updated June 26

Jordan Walker, OF (appendicitis): After feeling discomfort, Walker was sent to the hospital Tuesday night, where he received nonsurgical treatment for appendicitis to avoid a more severe issue. He spent the night and returned home in the morning. The Cardinals say he is more comfortable and will take four or five days of rest before returning to the field. His IL stint is backdated to Monday . Updated June 26

Ivan Herrera, C/DH (left hamstring strain): Hererra has started doing some workouts on the field and in the weight room to ease into his recovery from a slightly torn hamstring string. He has not been inactive since the event. He felt a "pull" in his hamstring while running the bases June 19 during a game vs. the White Sox. He is expected to miss anywhere from two-to-six weeks with a Grade 2 strain in his left hamstring and went on the injured list on June 20. Updated June 26

Zack Thompson, LHP (shoulder, lat strain): Lefty starter has begun a throwing program designed to strengthen his arm after a long stretch without much activity. The shoulder has responded well and Thompson has felt progress with this program, which had to be restarted because his recovery stalled in May. There is no timetable for his return to the mound. Updated June 19