The St. Louis Cardinals bring the Atlanta Braves to Busch Stadium on Saturday, July 11, with first pitch scheduled for 7:15 PM ET. Matthew Liberatore gets the ball for St. Louis against Atlanta's Reynaldo López in what shapes up as a compelling midsummer matchup between two National League clubs with playoff aspirations. The game airs locally on Cardinals.TV Presented by bet365 and on radio via KMOX 1120 AM/104.1 FM, with 680 AM/93.7 FM The Fan also carrying the call.

Pitching Matchup: Liberatore vs. López

Matthew Liberatore draws the Saturday start for the Cardinals, and this is a meaningful opportunity for the left-hander to put together a quality outing against a lineup that can do real damage. The Braves counter with Reynaldo López, the right-hander who made his name in the American League before landing in Atlanta. López brings a power arm to the mound and presents a genuine challenge for a Cardinals lineup that will need to grind out at-bats and work counts to get to the Atlanta bullpen.

Cardinals Starting Lineup

• JJ Wetherholt, 2B
• Iván Herrera, C
• Alec Burleson, 1B
• Jordan Walker, RF
• Lars Nootbaar, LF
• Masyn Winn, SS
• Bryan Torres, DH
• Blaze Jordan, 3B
• Nathan Church, CF

Braves Starting Lineup

• Michael Harris II, CF
• Ozzie Albies, 2B
• Matt Olson, 1B
• Drake Baldwin, DH
• Mauricio Dubón, LF
• Austin Riley, 3B
• Eli White, RF
• Joey Bart, C
• Jorge Mateo, SS

Keys to Watch for St. Louis

Jordan Walker and the Middle of the Order

With Walker hitting cleanup and Nootbaar right behind him at five, the Cardinals have real run-producing potential in the heart of this lineup. Atlanta's pitching staff is not easy to crack, so how Walker and Nootbaar fare against López in their early at-bats could set the tone for the entire evening at Busch Stadium.

Masyn Winn's Role in the Lineup

Winn batting sixth is worth tracking. He provides both defensive reliability at shortstop and the kind of on-base ability that can keep innings alive for the bottom of the order. If Blaze Jordan and Nathan Church can get on base ahead of Wetherholt cycling back around, the Cardinals have a lineup that can score in bunches.

Liberatore Keeping the Braves Offense in Check

Matt Olson and Austin Riley represent genuine middle-of-the-order threats for Atlanta, and Liberatore will need to be precise. Olson in particular punishes pitches left over the plate, and Riley has the kind of raw power that can change a game in a single swing. Liberatore's ability to locate and mix his offerings will be the central storyline on the mound Saturday night.

Prediction

This is a home game that matters. The Cardinals are playing in front of their own crowd at Busch Stadium, and Liberatore has the stuff to keep Atlanta's lineup off-balance if he executes. The matchup is even enough that a one- or two-run game is the most likely outcome. Give the edge to St. Louis, 4-2, on a quality start from Liberatore and timely hitting from Walker in the middle of the order.