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The Pittsburgh Pirates will sail to St. Louis to take on the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday (September 30) in what is usually a rough MLB series for the Pirates.
The matchup will mark the end of the season for both the Pirates and the Cardinals in a brutal six-game series. The Cardinals have a heavy lead in 13 meetings with Pittsburgh this season (10-3).
Games 14 through 19 could shift things, given that St. Louis (90-66) has locked up the division and will coast to the postseason with a 31-game lead over Pittsburgh (59-97) sitting in last place in the NL Central. The Cardinals have a 6.5-game buffer in the division, so without a complete shutdown, they should be smooth sailing.
The scouting report on starting pitches is a tough one for both the Pirates and the Cardinals, with just 75 combined innings this season for both starters. The Pirates will send out Johan Oviedo (4-2) with a 3.13 ERA to shift the series momentum, while the Cardinals will counter with Jack Flaherty carrying a 4.97 ERA.
The interesting comparison between the Pirates and the Cardinals is on the offensive side of the game: Bryan Reynolds (Pirates) and Paul Goldschmidt (Cardinals). Both guys lead their team in home runs, batting average, and RBIs. Needless to say, it's even more impressive on a 90-win team compared to a team with less than 60.
If the Pirates hope to steal a couple of wins in this last stretch, they will likely need to come early in the series. If they can catch the Cardinals while they're coasting on the hangover of a clinched postseason, and the bats get hot at the right time, stranger things have happened.
By the end of the series, St. Louis will try to get the last reps in for their main guys and prepare for the NLDS. That's unlikely to happen, and the Cardinals will look to get out early and set the six-game tone on a division rival with a quick statement.
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Pittsburgh Pirates vs St. Louis Cardinals Match Details
Fixture: Pittsburgh Pirates @ St Louis Cardinals
Date and Time: Friday, September 30; 8:15 pm EST
Venue: Busch Stadium, St. Louis MO
Pittsburgh Pirates vs St. Louis Cardinals Betting Odds
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Pittsburgh Pirates vs St Louis Cardinals Betting Prediction
Based on where the value is, the plus money is for the St. Louis Cardinals on the spread.
All arguments aside about the pitching matchup, the Cardinals are on a different level from the Pirates. Given the -1.5 to cover, there will have to be some offensive production to counter anything the Pirates can put together. That makes the over look awfully nice also.
Prediction: St. Louis Cardinals (-1.5 / +100) and Over 7.5 (-105)
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