The franchises of Cardinals and Cubs, which are both storied teams in baseball, will be treated to a showdown in London as they travel to England for a series weekend in the National League Central.
Despite the fact that both of these teams have had a rough time in their respective divisions, with the Cubs winning six titles and the Cards winning 12, it is expected that there will be a strong turnout to watch them in 2023. This series between rivals features three other teams in the division who have a combined total of 18 Central titles.
In order for teams to stay in the race, they need to start getting their ships righted by June. This year, the Central NL is a challenging place for struggling teams to secure a respectable position. The Pirates, Brewers, and Reds are all hovering around the .500 mark.
FAGAN: Surging Cubs, Cardinals looking to utilize London Series as a launching pad.
In early May, here’s what you need to know: The Cardinals are leading the series season 2-1 after winning two out of three games at Wrigley Field.
The Cardinals and Cubs are set to compete in a two-game series at London Stadium on Saturday, June 24, and Sunday, June 25.
The turnout for both games is anticipated to be near the stadium’s maximum capacity of 60,000.
On June 24th, the Cardinals will face off against the Cubs at 6:10 p.M. BST on FoxSports.Com and Fubo Fox. The game will be broadcasted on ESPN and Fubo ESPN+ at 1:10 p.M. ET. The following day, on June 25th, the Cubs and Cardinals will play again at 10 a.M. ET, with the game available for streaming on ESPN and Fubo ESPN+ at 3:10 p.M. BST.
The Cubs and Cardinals were originally scheduled to play those games in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced them to be canceled. This will be the first series played in London since the Red Sox and Yankees put up a combined total of 50 runs in two games.
Broadcasting channel for the MLB London Series 2023
Both games will be nationally televised in the United States, with Sunday’s game airing on ESPN and Saturday’s game broadcasting on Fox. You can stream them through MLB.Tv, ESPN+, ESPN Watch, FoxSports.Com, and Fubo, which also offers a free trial.
MORE: Watch Cubs vs. Cardinals with Fubo (complimentary trial).
London Stadium seating capacity
The London Stadium, where West Ham Football F.C. From the Premier League calls home, can hold a maximum of 62,500 fans for football games.
Even though the Cubs and Cardinals are struggling, they still have an international stadium to fill. The attendance for the first game was 59,659, and for the second game it was 59,059. This happened in 2019 when the Red Sox played against the Yankees.
The Dodgers boast the highest attendance in baseball, with 48,025 tickets being sold per game until June 22nd.
MORE: What to understand about London Stadium as Cubs prepare to compete against Cardinals.
Future Schedule of MLB in London
Two games were played earlier this season between the Giants and Padres in Mexico City. Although they have mostly been played in Mexico or Japan, MLB has a history of international games.
MLB has a contract for international games in 2024 and 2026. The Phillies and Mets announced on Friday that they will be playing in London on June 8th, 2024, and it was also announced that they will be playing in London on June 9th, 2026.
Current standings of the NL Central division
The Cubs and Cardinals are striving to stay in step with the Reds and Brewers in the division. The present standings as of Saturday are as follows:
The Reds have a record of 41-36, which gives them a winning percentage of .532. They are currently 1.5 games behind the Brewers, who have a record of 39-37 with a winning percentage of .513. The Cubs are in third place with a record of 37-38 and a winning percentage of .493, trailing the Reds by 3 games. The Pirates have a record of 35-41 and a winning percentage of .461, putting them 5.5 games behind the Reds. The Cardinals are in last place with a record of 31-45 and a winning percentage of .408, trailing the Reds by 9.5 games.
The Cardinals have been catching up to their pitching needs, but things turn to hitting. The Cubs, on the other hand, have shown flashes of putting runs together, but they have not yet accomplished it.