Cardinals-Astros Set For Epic Rubber Match Ahead Of Monday's Series Opener

The St. Louis Cardinals are off to a solid start in 2025, with a 7-8 record, after defeating two of the Philadelphia Phillies' best starting pitchers on Friday and Sunday.

The red-hot Cardinals offense stunned Philadelphia after handing All-Star hurler Aaron Nola his third loss of the season Friday. Two days later, Phillies ace Zack Wheeler shockingly surrendered four earned runs on seven hits to St. Louis' youth-laden lineup.

Hopefully, the Cardinals can keep the momentum going from Sunday's dominant 7-0 victory over the National League East rival Phillies as they prepare to take on the Houston Astros in what should be a thrilling rubber match between both teams' aces.

Cardinals right-handed pitcher Sonny Gray and Astros left-handed pitcher Framber Valdez have been appointed to start Monday night's game. First pitch is scheduled for 6:45 PM Central Standard Time at Busch Stadium.

Gray has logged a 2-0 record with a 4.50 ERA, 19-to-2 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .207 batting average against and a 0.88 WHIP throughout three starts in 16 innings pitched for the Cardinals this year.

Although Gray's velocity has decreased since 2024, the 35-year-old has been tremendous at commanding the zone in 2025. The three-time All-Star has struggled this year with sacrificing home runs -- eight in spring training and four through his first three regular-season starts -- but luckily, the Astros' offense is currently ranked 21st with 12 home runs.

Valdez has posted a 1-1 record with a 2.50 ERA, 21-to-7 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .161 batting average against and a 0.94 WHIP throughout three starts in 18 innings pitched for Houston this season.

The 31-year-old southpaw is off to a hot start in what could be his final season with the Astros. Valdez will become a free agent this winter and if he continues to dominate, he should have no issues landing a lucrative multi-year deal.

Monday night's showdown between Gray and Valdez should be exciting but hopefully, the Cardinals' offense will find a way to rattle the Astros' ace -- just as it did to Pirates' phenom Paul Skenes and $126 million Phillies' Wheeler.