The Pittsburgh Pirates (71-81) travel to face off against the St. Louis Cardinals (77-75) on Thursday, September 19th. This game will be played at Busch Stadium in St. Louis and televised on BSMW. The Cardinals are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Pirates are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Cardinals. First pitch is set for 6:15 CT.
Pirates vs. Cardinals Betting Prediction
- Money Line Prediction: Cardinals (-139)
- Over/Under Prediction: Over 8 Runs
- The Cardinals have won 3 consecutive games against the Pirates at home, scoring an average of 5.67 runs per game.
- In their last 15 games, the Cardinals have a home record of 7-3, showing strong performance at home.
- The Cardinals have outscored their opponents by a total of 20 runs in their last 3 home games against the Pirates.
- The Cardinals have won 5 of their last 7 home games, demonstrating a recent trend of strong home-field advantage.
- The Pirates are currently on a 3-game losing streak, indicating a recent decline in performance.
Pirates vs Cardinals
It was all St. Louis in the last game of this series, as the Cardinals took down the Pirates by a score of 10-5. The Cardinals offense only had two more hits than the Pirates and struck out eight times, but still picked up a convincing win. Heading into the game, they were favored at -204 on the money line.
Pittsburgh got on the board first with two runs in the 4th inning, but the Cardinals responded with two runs in the 2nd and added six more in the 7th. As for the Pirates, they scored their final three runs in the 6th.
Sonny Gray got the start for the Cardinals, going 5 2/3 innings while giving up four runs and striking out eight. He picked up a win in the game, while Michael McGreevy got the win out of the bullpen. Jake Woodford only went 4 2/3 innings for the Pirates, giving up four earned runs on eight hits.
On the season, the Pirates are 34-28 when favored and 22-34 as underdogs. Against the run line, they have a 57-33 record as underdogs and 24-38 as favorites. Pittsburgh’s overall series record is 20-21-6.
Currently, the Pirates are 17 games behind the Brewers in the NL Central with a 71-81 record. They have lost three straight games and are down 0-3 in their series against the Cardinals.
Luis L. Ortiz Gets The Start For The Pirates
Pittsburgh is sending Luis L. Ortiz to the mound today vs. the Cardinals, and he comes in with a record of 6-6 and an ERA of 3.45. So far this year, Ortiz has made 13 starts, and he has pitched well on the road, coming in with a record of 4-3 and an ERA of 3.45. In his last outing, he gave up four earned runs in four innings of work, taking the loss. Before that, he had won two straight starts and didn’t give up a run in either outing. Ortiz’s ERA for the month of September is 4.50.
Pirates Offense Breakdown
So far this season, the Pirates are averaging 4.2 runs per game, which is 22nd in the league. They have been a little better at home, averaging 4.3 runs per game. As a team, the Pirates are batting just .236, and their on-base percentage of .302 is also near the bottom of the league. Pittsburgh’s offense has been led by Bryan Reynolds and Bryan De La Cruz, who have 22 and 20 homers this season, respectively.
Over his last five games, Isiah Kiner-Falefa has gone 8/20, while Billy Cook has gone 3/13 in this stretch. De La Cruz has struggled a bit of late, going just 2/15 in his last four games. Currently, no Pirates players are on a notable hitting streak.
St. Louis has won five straight games at home and are 42-35 at Busch Stadium this season. Their overall record is 77-75, and they are 11 games behind the Brewers in the NL Central. The Cardinals have a 27-25 record as the home favorite and are 52-28 against the run line as underdogs.
Cardinals games have averaged 8.6 runs this season, and their over/under record is 71-77. When the total is set at 8 runs, they have an O/U record of 11-17-1. Today’s total is 8 runs, and 53.9% of their games have had totals of 8 or higher.
Erick Fedde Gets The Start For The Cardinals
Right-hander Erick Fedde gets the start for the Cardinals today as he faces off against the Pirates. He has made 29 starts this season and has a record of 8-9 with a 3.45 ERA. Looking at his overall numbers, Fedde has a WHIP of 1.18 and has issued just 2.74 walks per nine innings compared to 7.72 strikeouts. Fedde has made 11 quality starts this year and has allowed a total of 20 home runs. In his last outing, he finished with a no-decision, giving up three earned runs in five innings of work. Before that, he had lost three straight starts.
Cardinals Offense Breakdown
So far this season, the Cardinals are averaging 4.1 runs per game, which is 24th in the league. They have been a little better at home, averaging 4.2 runs per game. St. Louis has been a pretty good hitting team this season, as they have the league’s 10th best batting average at .246. As a team, they are also 10th in on-base percentage and have the 18th best slugging percentage.
St. Louis has three players who have at least 19 homers this season, with Alec Burleson and Paul Goldschmidt both having 21 homers. Burleson is also the team’s top run producer, with 73 RBIs. Over his last eight games, Brendan Donovan has gone 8/27 with two homers and five RBIs. Jordan Walker is also on a nice hitting streak, going 6/21 with two homers in his last eight games.
Pirates vs Cardinals Prediction
Our prediction for this Pirates vs. Cardinals matchup is to take the Cardinals on the money line at -139. We have the Cardinals winning this one by a score of 5-4, which means there is some value in taking them on the money line and not a run line.
Looking at the starting pitchers, Erick Fedde is projected to finish with five strikeouts, which is better than Luis Ortiz, who is projected to finish with five. However, Fedde is also projected to finish with a higher ERA than Ortiz.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:September 19, 2024 Cardinals, Pirates