Today's starting pitching matchup features St. Louis Cardinals's Matthew Liberatore (3-3, 4.71 ERA) against Kansas City Royals's Noah Cameron (3-4, 4.11 ERA).

Both starters carry similar ERAs, setting the stage for a potential pitchers' duel. WHIP: Matthew Liberatore 1.50, Noah Cameron 1.21.

Advanced metrics: Matthew Liberatore — FIP 4.98, K% 21.2%, 70.7 IP / Noah Cameron — FIP 3.49, K% 21.7%, 70.0 IP

2026 season record: St. Louis Cardinals 40-32 (.556), Kansas City Royals 30-45 (.400).

St. Louis Cardinals holds the edge in the season standings, though Kansas City Royals can't be counted out based on head-to-head matchups.

Run differential: St. Louis Cardinals +11, Kansas City Royals -51. Both clubs are evenly matched in run production.

Recent form: St. Louis Cardinals on a 1-game losing streak, Kansas City Royals on a 1-game win streak.

Based on starting pitching, Kansas City Royals holds the edge.

St. Louis Cardinals bullpen: 12 relievers on the active roster. Key arms: Andre Pallante 3.76 ERA, 62K in 76.2IP, Dustin May 3.75 ERA, 75K in 81.2IP, George Soriano (Setup) 2.97 ERA, 27K in 30.1IP.

Kansas City Royals bullpen: 13 relievers on the active roster. Key arms: Alex Lange 4.01 ERA, 35K in 33.2IP, Beck Way 6.75 ERA, 8K in 5.1IP, Connor Seabold 4.05 ERA, 15K in 20.0IP.

Projected win probability: St. Louis Cardinals 46% vs Kansas City Royals 54%

Factors: Kansas City Royals's starter owns the lower ERA, Kansas City Royals's home-field advantage. Of course, baseball's inherent randomness means actual results may differ.

Workload comparison: Matthew Liberatore averages 5.0 IP per start vs. Noah Cameron at 5.4 IP. Getting six-plus innings from the starter significantly eases the bullpen burden.

Matthew Liberatore has allowed 14 HR this season — a concern against a lineup with extra-base power.

Kauffman Stadium is classified as a pitcher-friendly park. Starter endurance becomes even more critical.