London will be treated to a National League Central showdown as two of baseball's storied franchises, the Cubs and Cardinals, travel to England for a weekend series.
Although the sailing has not been smooth for these two teams, who are fourth and fifth in the division, respectively, this series features rivals that have 18 Central titles combined (12 for the Cards, six for the Cubs). The other three teams in the division have a combined six. With that in mind, expect a strong turnout to watch these teams, regardless of how 2023 has gone.
While no ships get righted in June, both teams need to start now if they're to get stay in the race. The NL Central is a decent place for struggling teams to be this year: the Reds, Brewers, and Pirates all are near .500.
FAGAN: Surging Cubs, Cardinals hoping to use London Series as springboard
The Cardinals lead the season series 2-1 after winning two of three at Wrigley Field in early May. Here's what to know ahead of the teams' second set of the year:
MLB London Series 2023 schedule
The Cardinals and Cubs are playing a two-game series on Saturday, June 24, and Sunday, June 25, at London Stadium.
Attendance is expected to be close to the stadium's 60,000 capacity for both games.
| Date | Game | Time | TV channel | Stream |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, June 24 | Cubs 9, Cardinals 1 | 1:10 p.m. ET (6:10 p.m. BST) | Fox | Fubo, FoxSports.com |
| Sunday, June 25 | Cardinals vs. Cubs | 10:10 a.m. ET (3:10 p.m. BST) | ESPN | Fubo, ESPN+ |
This will be the first series played in London since the Yankees and Red Sox put up 50 combined runs in two games in 2019. The Cardinals and Cubs were originally scheduled to play there in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced those games to be canceled.
MLB London Series 2023 channel
- Saturday TV channel: Fox
- Sunday TV channel: ESPN
- Live streams: Fubo, FoxSports.com, Watch ESPN, ESPN+
Both games will be televised nationally in the United States, with Fox broadcasting Saturday's game and ESPN airing Sunday's. The games will be streamed via Fubo, which offers a free trial, as well as on FoxSports.com, Watch ESPN and ESPN+. Because both games are national telecasts, MLB.tv will not stream them.
MORE: Watch Cubs vs. Cardinals with Fubo (free trial)
London Stadium capacity
London Stadium, home of Premier League side West Ham Football F.C., can hold up to 62,500 for soccer.
When the Red Sox played the Yankees in 2019, attendance was 59,659 for the first game and 59,059 for the second. Even though the Cardinals and Cubs are struggling, they still have the prestige to fill an international stadium.
The Dodgers have the best attendance in baseball with 48,025 tickets sold per game through June 22.
MORE: What to know about London Stadium as Cubs gear up to play Cardinals
MLB London future schedule
MLB has a history of international games, but they have mostly been played in Japan or Mexico. Two games were played in Mexico City between the Padres and Giants earlier this season.
MLB has a contract for international games in 2024 and 2026, and announced Friday that the Mets and Phillies will be playing in London on June 8 and 9, 2024.
NL Central standings
The Cubs and Cardinals are trying to catch up to the Reds and Brewers in the division. The standings through Saturday:
| Team | W-L | Pct | GB |
| Reds | 41-36 | .532 | -- |
| Brewers | 39-37 | .513 | 1.5 |
| Cubs | 37-38 | .493 | 3 |
| Pirates | 35-41 | .461 | 5.5 |
| Cardinals | 31-45 | .408 | 9.5 |
The Cardinals have the hitting to turn things around, but they need their pitching to catch up. The Cubs have shown flashes but have yet to put together a run.
