This Wednesday the (92-68) St. Louis Cardinals and the (61-99) Pittsburgh Pirates will play the final game of this six-game series. The first pitch will be thrown out at 4:05 PM EST inside PNC Park. The last time these two teams matched up, the Cardinals ended up stealing two of three games. This will also be the last game of the regular season for both teams.
The St. Louis Cardinals came into this one after splitting a short two-game series with the Milwaukee Brewers. They won game one but struggled at the plate in game two. They are now looking to finish this series strong, as the Pirates have already swiped two games in this six-game series.
The Pittsburgh Pirates entered this one after sweeping the Cincinnati Reds. The Pirates looked incredible on the mound, as they only surrendered seven combined runs in their wins. They will need their pitching to step up in this one if they want to finish their season strong.
This game was written/published before last night's results.
The St. Louis Cardinals are 5-5 in their last 10, as they clinched the division this past week. They are also holding on to the third NL playoff seed, as they sit behind the Braves and the Dodgers. They have already won their division, as they still have a 7.0-game lead over the Milwaukee Brewers.
At the plate, the Cardinals are scoring 4.83 runs per game and they are hitting .252 as a team. This is the 5th most runs scored per game and the 10th highest team batting average. They have shown that they can consistently make contact with the ball and they are driving in men when they are in scoring position. The Cardinals have also known that they have a ton of home run power inside of their lineup. They are hitting 1.25 home runs per game, which is the eighth most in the MLB. Watch for Paul Goldschmidt at the dish, as he leads the team with 35 home runs this season. I would also expect the Cardinals to stay aggressive o nce they have reached base safely. They have already swiped 94 bases this season, which is the 12th most.
According to MLB.com, the Cardinals are still undecided on who will start on the mound in this game. This is their last regular season game of the season, as they are preparing for the postseason. I would check covers.com or mlb.com before placing your bet, as it is important to know the starting pitchers in this game. I also expect the Cardinals to use multiple arms to get the job done in this one. They will turn to their relievers early and allow their bullpen to pitch throughout this game. St. Louis's bullpen is currently allowing 3.67 runs per game, which is the 11th least. As a team, the Cardinals are surrendering 3.97 runs per game, which is the ninth least.