Practice English with NewsPractice with News
Sports182 words1 min read

Cubs and Cardinals Face Off in MLB Series

man in white and black baseball jersey shirt and red baseball cap
Photo by Bill Stephan on Unsplash
0:00 / 0:00

Listen to the story

The Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals are playing a series of baseball games this week.

The games are taking place at Wrigley Field, the home stadium of the Cubs.

Fans and experts have been sharing predictions, picks, and odds for today's game between the two teams.

One important part of any preview is knowing the probable starting pitchers for each side.

For the Cardinals, Holmes is expected to start on the mound.

For the Cubs, Boyd was also listed as a probable starter.

Jameson Imanaga was originally planned to pitch for the Cubs as well.

However, there has been an update to that plan.

Edward Cabrera will now replace Imanaga as the Cubs' starting pitcher.

This kind of late change can affect how fans and analysts think about the game.

Pitching matchups are often a key factor in predicting which team will win.

Cubs and Cardinals fans will be watching closely to see how the pitching changes affect the outcome.

The series is part of the ongoing MLB season, where both teams are competing for strong results.

Vocabulary10 words

series
a group of games played between two teams
Wrigley Field
a famous stadium; where the Chicago Cubs play
prediction
a guess about what will happen later
picks
choices people make about who will win
odds
numbers that show the chance of a team winning
probable
very likely to happen or to play
starting pitcher
the main player who throws first in a baseball game
update
new information that changes an earlier plan
replace
to put someone or something new instead of another
matchup
a comparison between two players or teams

Quiz

1. What is the main event described in the article?
2. Where is the series being played?
3. What change happened to the Cubs' pitching plan?

Fill-in-the-blank listening

Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.

The Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals are playing a _____ of baseball games this week.

The games are taking place at _____ Field, the home stadium of the Cubs.

Fans and experts have been sharing predictions, picks, and _____ for today's game.

One important part of any preview is knowing the _____ starting pitchers for each side.

For the Cardinals, _____ is expected to start on the mound.

For the Cubs, Boyd was also listed as a probable _____.

Jameson Imanaga was originally planned to _____ for the Cubs as well.

However, there has been an _____ to that plan.

Edward _____ will now replace Imanaga as the Cubs' starting pitcher.

Pitching _____ are often a key factor in predicting which team will win.

Discussion questions

  1. Do you enjoy watching baseball series like this one? Why or why not?
  2. Why do you think starting pitchers are so important in baseball games?
  3. How might a last-minute pitching change affect a team's chances?
  4. Do you follow any sports rivalries similar to Cubs vs. Cardinals?

More Sports stories

Next story · Medium

Queensland Man Loses Money in Crypto Trading App Scam

→