So this is less a marquee tilt than two teams checking whether their roster can survive itself for a few more weeks. St. Louis is chasing development reps down the stretch; Los Angeles is trying to get back to playing like the best team in its own division instead of just having the record of one.
St. Louis dropped the finale of a set with the Orioles before taking two of three from the Pirates to close out that stretch — a reminder that even a sub-.500 club can still scrap for individual wins, particularly with young players getting extended run in the wake of the trade-deadline sell-off. The Dodgers, meanwhile, have been the shakier team of late, getting swept by Atlanta before splitting a two-game set with Detroit. An 81-55 record and a wide division cushion buy patience, but Dave Roberts has openly acknowledged the club hasn't looked like itself.
Health is the story on both sides more than form is. St. Louis is waiting on Masyn Winn to even resume swinging a bat and on Andre Pallante to work back into the rotation, while Los Angeles is piecing together a bullpen that's lost Diaz, Klein, Ben Casparius, Brusdar Graterol, Jake Cousins and Blake Treinen to various injuries this season.
None of that changes the shape of the standings — the Dodgers aren't catching anybody and the Cardinals aren't catching the Dodgers — but it does mean the lineup cards and bullpen usage for this one are worth watching closer than the records alone would suggest.