In this article we will formulate a Pirates vs Cardinals prediction for this MLB game on Wednesday, September 23rd at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Let’s take a look at the prediction for this MLB matchup.
Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Preview
The Pittsburgh Pirates are 80-77 this season after they won game one by a score of 2-0 on Tuesday night. Pittsburgh scored once in the sixth and once in the seventh in the shutout win. The Pirates recorded five hits in the game and they were led by O’Hearn, who went 1-4 with one RBI. Jones allowed one hit and zero earned runs over 7.0 innings for the win, while Soto got the save. Prior to this series, Pittsburgh swept the Royals in three games, but lost two out of three against the Brewers before that.
This season, Pittsburgh has a 4.16 ERA with a 1.30 WHIP and a .237 opponent batting average, while they have scored 750 runs with a .254 batting average and a .331 on base percentage. Brandon Lowe has led the Pirates with 33 home runs and 93 RBIs, while Ryan O’Hearn has added 18 home runs and 74 RBIs. The projected starting pitcher for Pittsburgh is TBD.
St. Louis Cardinals Betting Preview
The St. Louis Cardinals are 76-81 this year after they lost game one by a score of 0-2 last night. St. Louis had plenty of issues generating baserunners and never scored in the loss. The Cardinals recorded one hit and they committed one error in the game, while they were led by Church, who went 1-3. Pallante allowed three hits and one earned run over 6.0 innings for the loss, while Bruihl picked up the loss. Prior to this series, St. Louis lost two out of three against the Nationals and two out of three against the Giants.
This season, St. Louis has a 4.28 ERA with a 1.35 WHIP and a .253 opponent batting average, while they have scored 704 runs with a .241 batting average and a .314 on base percentage. Jordan Walker has led the Cardinals with 28 home runs and 100 RBIs, while Alec Burleson has added 23 home runs and 111 RBIs. The projected starting pitcher for St. Louis is Matthew Liberatore, who is 5-14 with a 5.36 ERA and a 1.49 WHIP over 149.1 innings pitched this year.
Why the Pittsburgh Pirates will win
- The Pirates have won seven of their last eight games against teams that held a losing record.
- The Cardinals have lost seven of their last eight night games against NL opponents.
- The Cardinals have failed to cover the run line in each of their last six night games against NL opponents.
- The favorites have covered the run line in each of the Cardinals’ last four games.
- The Cardinals have trailed after 5 innings in six of their last eight night games against NL opponents.
- The Cardinals have lost the first inning in four of their last five road games.
- The Cardinals have trailed after 3 innings in three of their last four games as underdogs.
Why the St. Louis Cardinals will win
- The Pirates have lost each of their last six Wednesday games as home favorites against NL opponents.
- The underdogs have won five of the Cardinals’ last six games at PNC Park.
- The Pirates have failed to cover the run line in each of their last 10 Wednesday night games as favorites against NL Central opponents.
- The Cardinals have covered the run line in each of their last nine Wednesday games as road underdogs against NL Central opponents.
- The Cardinals have led after 3 innings in three of their last four games at PNC Park.
- The Cardinals have led after 5 innings in seven of their last eight road games against NL Central opponents.
Total Runs Facts
- Seven of the Pirates’ last eight night games against NL Central opponents have gone UNDER the total runs line.
- Eleven of the Cardinals’ last 13 road games after playing the previous day have gone OVER the total runs line.
- There has been no run scored during the first inning in each of the Pirates’ last nine home games against NL Central opponents.
- There has been no run scored during the first inning in each of the Cardinals’ last four games as underdogs against NL Central opponents.
Pittsburgh Pirates Player Prop Facts
- Brandon Lowe has hit a home run in four of the Pirates’ last five night games.
- Konnor Griffin has recorded at least one hit in each of his last 12 appearances with the Pirates as favorites against NL Central opponents.
- Nick Gonzales is one of only five players to hit over .300 and have 45+ RBIs this season.
St. Louis Cardinals Player Prop Facts
- Jordan Walker has hit a home run in two of the Cardinals’ last three road games against NL Central opponents.
- Nathan Church has recorded at least one hit in each of the Cardinals’ last 10 road games.
- Matthew Liberatore has recorded five or more strikeouts in each of his last six appearances with the Cardinals as underdogs.
- Alec Burleson ranks T9th in the league in Hits (165) this season.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Pirates rank T1st in the league for home runs allowed this season (150).
- The Pirates rank 2nd in the league for hits this season (1368).
- The Cardinals rank 27th in the league for slugging percentage this season (.380).
- The Cardinals rank 4th in the league for home runs allowed this season (155).
Pirates vs Cardinals Prediction
Pittsburgh comes into this matchup on a five game winning streak and they are making a push to finish the season above .500. The Pirates are 43-36 at home this year, while the Cardinals are 38-38 on the road. St. Louis has lost four of their last five games and they have allowed 6+ runs in three of those five. The Cardinals are starting Liberatore, who has allowed 1, 2, 5, 3, and 8 earned runs in his last five outings, while Pittsburgh is going with a bullpen game. Take the Pirates to win again here.