The St. Louis Cardinals return to Busch Stadium on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, for a 7:45 PM ET first pitch against the Baltimore Orioles. Chris Bassitt gets the ball for Baltimore in an interleague matchup that pits two franchises with serious postseason ambitions against each other in the heart of the regular season. The Cardinals have not yet announced their probable starter for this one, which is a storyline worth watching in its own right as first pitch approaches. Catch the game on MASN, Cardinals.TV Presented by bet365, or locally on KMOX 1120 AM/104.1 FM.
Cardinals vs. Orioles: Tuesday Night Matchup at Busch Stadium
Interleague matchups between the Cardinals and Orioles do not happen every week, and whenever these two storied organizations share a field, there is something worth paying attention to. Baltimore brings a veteran arm in Chris Bassitt to St. Louis, and the Cardinals faithful at Busch Stadium will be eager to give their club the kind of home-crowd energy that can shift the momentum of a tight August game.
Pitching: Chris Bassitt Starts for Baltimore, Cardinals Starter TBD
Bassitt is the known quantity heading into Tuesday night. He is a durable, cerebral right-hander who works his way through lineups with a mix of pitch shapes and command rather than overpowering stuff. He has made a career of keeping hitters off-balance, and any Cardinals lineup that comes out looking to sit on one pitch will be in for a long night.
On the St. Louis side, the probable starter had not been officially announced at the time of publication. That uncertainty matters. Whether the Cardinals roll out a veteran arm, a rising starter, or opt for a bullpen game, the pitching decision will be the single biggest factor shaping how this game unfolds. Keep an eye on the official announcement as Tuesday gets closer.
Keys to Watch for the Cardinals
- Starting pitching clarity: The Cardinals need to lock in their starter and get length out of that arm. Burning the bullpen early in a regular season game in late August is a cost this roster cannot afford to absorb lightly.
- Offensive approach against Bassitt: Bassitt rewards patient, disciplined at-bats. Cardinals hitters who work counts and avoid expanding the zone will give St. Louis the best chance to string together innings.
- Home crowd factor: Busch Stadium in August with a big interleague matchup on the schedule is a genuine home-field advantage. The Cardinals historically play well in front of their fans, and Tuesday night should bring a strong crowd ready to make some noise.
- Bullpen management: Regardless of who starts, how both managers deploy their relievers in the middle innings will likely decide this game late.
Prediction
Until the Cardinals officially name their starter, there is a real variable sitting in the middle of any honest projection. What we do know is that Bassitt is capable of going deep into games and keeping a lineup quiet through six or seven innings if his command is on. The Cardinals offense will need to be sharp and patient from the first pitch.
This feels like a close, low-scoring ballgame decided by two or three key plate appearances in the middle innings. Give me Cardinals 4, Orioles 2 — but check back once St. Louis names their arm, because that call could shift the calculus significantly.
