MLB Game Preview: Pittsburgh Pirates (57-75) vs. St. Louis Cardinals (65-67)

Game Details

First pitch is scheduled for 7:45 p.m. ET. This marks the 11th meeting of the season, with the series deadlocked at 5–5.

Betting Trends

• Cardinals are 36–30 at home in 2025, while the Pirates are just 18–45 on the road.
• St. Louis is 43–12 when they out-hit their opponent this season.
• Pittsburgh is 30–8 in games when they score five or more runs.
• In their last 10 outings, the Cardinals are 4–6 with a .249 batting average; the Pirates are 6–4 with a .255 average.

Key Storylines

• This is a pivotal NL Central tilt as both clubs vie to gain ground in a tightly packed division.
• St. Louis enters off a performance driven by Alec Burleson’s four-hit effort in Monday’s affair.
• Pittsburgh seeks to extend its four-game winning run in head-to-head matchups and snap St. Louis’s home comfort zone.

Players to Watch

St. Louis Cardinals

• Alec Burleson, OF: Batting .291 with 21 doubles, a triple, 16 homers and 60 RBI, Burleson continues to anchor the lineup.
• Lars Nootbaar, OF: 12-for-42 with three RBI over his last 10 games, Nootbaar has provided timely contributions in the clutch.

Pittsburgh Pirates

• Mitch Keller, RHP: Coming off an outing in which he logged seven scoreless innings against St. Louis earlier this season, Keller owns a 5–12 record with a 4.34 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 116 strikeouts.
• Andrew McCutchen, OF: The veteran is hitting .241 with 19 doubles, 12 home runs and 53 walks, offering veteran poise atop the Pirates order.

Pitching Matchup

Pallante will look to sharpen his command after a string of high-scoring outings, while Keller aims to duplicate his midseason dominance versus St. Louis’s lineup.

X-Factors

• Ballpark Effect: Buick Stadium’s spacious outfield has suppressed power numbers, but light winds and warm temps could open the gaps tonight.
• Hit Differential: If the Pirates can match St. Louis in the hit column, they’ve proven they can win—even in a hostile environment.