MLB Game Preview: New York Yankees (64-57) vs. St. Louis Cardinals (61-61)

Venue: Busch Stadium, St. Louis, MO
First Pitch: 7:15 PM CT
Broadcast: YES Network, Bally Sports Midwest, MLB Network
Radio: WFAN 660 AM (New York), KMOX 1120 AM (St. Louis)

Match Context

The Yankees, clinging to the final AL Wild Card spot, begin a three-game road series against the Cardinals, who sit at .500 and 3.5 games out of a Wild Card berth in the NL. New York has struggled away from the Bronx, dropping 19 of its last 24 road games. St. Louis, meanwhile, is 35–27 at home and looking to rebound after losing two of three to the Rockies.

This marks the first meeting between the two clubs this season.

Starting Pitchers

New York Yankees – Luis Gil (0–1, 7.27 ERA, 1.85 WHIP)

• Third start since returning from injury
• High strikeout, high walk profile
• Last outing: 5.1 IP, 2 ER, 7 K vs. Astros
• Key: fastball command early in counts

St. Louis Cardinals – Andre Pallante (6–9, 4.95 ERA, 1.36 WHIP)

• Ground-ball specialist with low K rate
• Struggled recently: 5+ ER in 3 of last 5 starts
• Last outing: 1.2 IP, 6 ER vs. Cubs

Key Hitters to Watch

New York Yankees

• Giancarlo Stanton – 12-for-28, 3 HR in last 10 games
• Anthony Volpe – 25 doubles, 18 HR, 4 triples
• Ben Rice – 118 wRC+, emerging bat in bottom half of lineup

St. Louis Cardinals

• Alec Burleson – .282 AVG, 15 HR, 19 doubles
• Pedro Pages – 10-for-26, 2 HR, 8 RBI in last 10 games
• Paul Goldschmidt – 108 wRC+, league-average bat at age 37

Team Trends & Stats

Team	Record	Last 10	Batting Avg	Team ERA	Home/Road
Yankees	64–57	4–6	.209	3.93	27–32 road
Cardinals	61–61	5–5	.248	4.50	35–27 home

• Yankees have scored 100+ more runs than STL this season
• Cardinals bullpen ranks 7th in MLB by fWAR; Yankees rank bottom third
• Yankees are 42–15 when scoring 5+ runs

Despite road struggles, the Yankees’ offensive firepower and Gil’s upside give them the edge. Pallante’s recent volatility and St. Louis’s average run prevention suggest a high-scoring affair.