For the Cardinals, this is about answering a rough week. St. Louis has dropped 4 of its last 5, and Monday's collapse came with All-Star closer Riley O'Brien's name attached to real trade rumors as the deadline closes in — the kind of backdrop that can rattle a clubhouse if it doesn't get cleaned up fast.
Liberatore's last time out was arguably his best of the season — 6 shutout innings against Atlanta on just 71 pitches — a sign the lefty may finally be trending the right direction after a season-long ERA that's ballooned to 5.00. Ureña's more of a mixed bag: he tossed 4 scoreless innings his last time out against Texas but walked 5 batters doing it, the kind of control hiccup that can turn into a crooked number against a lineup that's actually hitting.
Neither roster is whole. The Cardinals are still without Ramon Urias and Max Rajcic for the year and JoJo Romero isn't walking through that bullpen door anytime soon, while the Angels are running out a lineup and pitching staff stripped down by season-ending surgeries for Anthony Rendon, Yoan Moncada and Robert Stephenson. Both sides are playing out the string in their own way — St. Louis for a playoff spot, LA for pride and evaluation — and that gap in stakes is exactly what makes Tuesday's rematch worth watching.