LONDON – The St. Louis Cardinals clash with the Chicago Cubs overseas this weekend for the return of the MLB London Series.
The Cardinals and Cubs will compete Saturday and Sunday at London Stadium. It will be MLB’s first London Series since 2019 and the first time the NL Central rivals meet elsewhere aside from St. Louis or Chicago.
Before the games begin, here are three things worth knowing ahead of the Cardinals-Cubs London Series.
1. London Series History
Major League Baseball first agreed to back-to-back years of international series in London in 2018. These were initially expected to be held in 2019 and 2020 at London Stadium, a venue originally constructed for the 2012 Olympics.
The 2019 London Series went on as planned, featuring one of baseball’s best rivalries with the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox. Though unfamiliar territory for both, the Yankees and Red Sox enjoyed quite a slugfest, combining for 50 runs scored over just two games. New York ended up on top in both games.
Around that time, MLB announced intentions for the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs to play at London Stadium the following summer. With 2020 came the COVID-19 pandemic, limiting international travel for some time and cutting deep into the next MLB campaign. As a result, the series was cancelled.
Last year, as pandemic restrictions started to ease, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred met with London mayor Sadiq Quan to plan for the postponed Cardinals-Cubs series and more baseball in London. The two reached an agreement for London Stadium to host regular season games in 2023, 2024 and 2026, along with other partnership events over the next five years.
The first series of that partnership: None other than the Cardinals and Cubs. MLB just announced next year the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies will head to London for the series’ third go-around.
This year’s games will come with one notable change that could perhaps be part of long-term plans. The fences of London Stadium are being pushed back anywhere from five to seven feet all around. London Stadium also upgraded its LED lighting system and adjusted its seating arrangements ahead of the Cardinals-Cubs series.
2. Impact For Cardinals & Cubs
The Cardinals and Cubs both had an opportunity to practice on the grounds of their next two games Friday morning after arriving Thursday.
The Cardinals spoke fondly of the upcoming London Series and the experience on Friday afternoon. For many, including Game 1 starting pitcher Adam Wainwright, it’s their first time traveling to Europe.
“This is all an incredible experience for me, seeing Big Ben and Tower Bridge and all of it,” said Wainwright. “It’s fun to see it in person, not to see it in a book or encyclopedia. It’s fun to walk on those old cobblestone streets and see the buildings.”
For Wainwright, Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt and several others on the big-league squad, they get another chance to expand baseball as a global game after participating in the World Baseball Classic.
“Coming over and seeing stuff that’s 1000 years old or older right in the middle of the city, [you have] an appreciation and understanding the smallness of you as a human being and the history of the world we live in,” said Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt. “We’re just here for four days, but when you think about the history and all the things that have gone on, just having a coolness to experience these things.”
Though the series is primarily important for international ties, both the Cardinals (31-44; 9 games back of NL Central lead) and the Cubs (36-38; 3.5 games back of NL Central lead) have some important ground to make up in the standings.
“We’ve come here to do business,” said Cardinals catcher Willson Contreras. “I know it’s going to be fun, but my main thing is to go about my business the same way as if we’re playing in the USA.”
The St. Louis Cardinals aren’t the only ones making a pitch in London this week. A group of business and civic leaders from the St. Louis metro made way to Europe earlier this week for a series of business-themed events in hopes to strengthen London’s ties with the Gateway City.
The Cubs will participate in a non-traditional MLB venue for the second straight season after participating in last year’s Field of Dreams contest in Iowa. Forbes reports that many Cubs are hopeful this grows the reach of MLB internationally.
The international series is the first outside the U.S. or Canada for the Cardinals since the 2019 season, when they played the Cincinnati Reds in the Mexico series. It’s the first likewise for the Cubs since 2003, when they played the Montreal Expos in Puerto Rico.
The Cardinals and Cubs have the chance to help the United Kingdom build on $62 million in estimated economic impact generated from the inaugural London Series.
3. When, Where, How To Watch
Both games will be broadcast on national television networks. They will not be on the Cardinals’ primary channel of Bally Sports Midwest, so plan accordingly.
Saturday, June 24
First pitch: 12:10 p.m. CT
Stream: MLB on FOX (FOX 2)
Sunday, June 25
First pitch: 9:10 a.m. CT
Stream: ESPN
On Saturday, anyone with access to a television and an antenna or a cable subscription can tune in to FOX 2 and catch the action.
Prior to the game, FOX 2 will host a half-hour edition of “Red Zone” to provide your latest Cardinals news and updates. After that, MLB on FOX hosts and hour-long pregame show with closer looks into the London Series.
On Sunday, anyone with an ESPN subscription or channel via a cable plan can tune into the main ESPN channel and catch the action.
Fans can also listen to radio broadcasts for both games on 1120 KMOX.