[1:05 PM] Pirates @ Cardinals

Who will WIN this matchup?

Pittsburgh Pirates (78-80)

@ St. Louis Cardinals (83-76)

 

Starting Pitchers:

Kuhl (PIT): 5-4; 4.25 ERA

Wacha (STL) 7-7; 4.93 ERA

 

Last 10 Games Played:

Pittsburgh Pirates: X-X

St. Louis Cardinals: X-X

 

Current odds:

Pittsburgh Pirates: (+145)

St. Louis Cardinals: (-155)

 

• ESPN simulations have Pittsburgh as XX% favorites to win the game.

• XX% of sports bets are currently on St. Louis to win as (XX) favorites.

• The St. Louis Cardinals are one game out of the second wild card with two games to play and don’t exactly have their rotation lined up as they would like. Cardinals manager Mike Matheny decided to give struggling Michael Wacha right-hander the start in Saturday’s game against the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates but admitted it will be “all hands on deck.”

• Former NL MVP Andrew McCutchen is 2-for-16 over the past five games for Pittsburgh to drop his batting average to .255, below his previous career worst of .259 set in 2011.

• Kuhl had a string of nine straight outings without allowing more than three runs come to a crashing halt in his last start, lasting only three innings and permitting five runs on eight hits in a loss to the Chicago Cubs. Kuhl won his previous two starts, going six runs in each and allowing a combined three runs at Milwaukee and Philadelphia. He gave up three runs on four hits in a two-inning stint versus the Cardinals on Sept. 5.

• Wacha has made only three appearances out of the bullpen since missing more than a month with soreness in his right shoulder and has done little to inspire confidence. He replaced an ineffective Jaime Garcia against Cincinnati on Monday and was battered for seven runs on nine hits over 2 2/3 innings. Wacha is 3-2 with a 3.83 ERA against the Pirates after seven strong innings on June 10 in which he yielded two runs on three hits.

• Wacha has made only three appearances out of the bullpen since missing more than a month with soreness in his right shoulder and has done little to inspire confidence. He replaced an ineffective Jaime Garcia against Cincinnati on Monday and was battered for seven runs on nine hits over 2 2/3 innings. Wacha is 3-2 with a 3.83 ERA against the Pirates after seven strong innings on June 10 in which he yielded two runs on three hits.

 

StreakSmarts Pick: St. Louis Cardinals

Confidence: 5/10

Confidence
StreakSmarter Pick
Previous Pick
Next Pick