Pittsburgh Pirates vs St. Louis Cardinals Picks and Predictions July 23rd 2024

Pirates Look to Move Into Tie with Cards in NL Central

Nick Gonzales may be a rookie, however his bat has been following through in the grip like a veteran this season. Recalled from Triple-An Indianapolis on May 10, the Pittsburgh Pirates infielder has turned into a fundamental piece of the setup in the 61 games he has played. Driving the group with eight game-dominating RBIs, Gonzales has shown a talent for conveying in crucial points in time.

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Gonzales’ Effect and Ongoing Exhibitions

Gonzales gave the choosing run in the Pirates’ 2-1 triumph over the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday, driving in Bryan Reynolds with an eighth-inning single. This was the second time in four days he conveyed a game-dominating hit, having recently gotten a stroll off win against the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday with a 10th inning single.

“I think my heartbeat is going pretty good in those moments,” Gonzales said. “I try to slow it down, but I think that just kind of gets me a little more locked in. I definitely try to slow it down and not try to do too much.”

The 25-year-old is riding a five-game hitting streak and has recorded at least one hit in 13 of the 17 games he has played in July. His consistent performance has been crucial as the Pirates have won nine of their past 11 games.

Importance of the Series Against the Cardinals

A win on Tuesday would move the Pirates into a tie with the Cardinals for second place in the National League Central.

“Every win’s great, but especially against a division rival,” said pitcher Mitch Keller, who started on Monday. “These are games we need to win.”

Pittsburgh’s Starting Pitcher: Paul Skenes

Pittsburgh will have rookie Paul Skenes (6-0, 1.90 ERA) on the mound. Skenes didn’t allow a run on five hits and struck out eight in his first career appearance against St. Louis on June 11. In his most recent start, Skenes pitched seven no-hit innings, fanning 11 in a 1-0 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on July 11. He also started the All-Star Game for the National League on July 16, pitching one scoreless inning.

St. Louis’ Starting Pitcher: Lance Lynn

The Cardinals will counter with right-hander Lance Lynn (5-4, 4.39 ERA). Lynn is 7-8 with a 5.34 ERA in 25 career games (23 starts) against Pittsburgh. In his last outing against the Pirates on June 13, he allowed three runs on four hits over 4 1/3 innings, striking out five and walking three.

Cardinals’ Recent Struggles

St. Louis has struggled recently, going 4-6 in its past 10 games after winning six of the previous eight. The Cardinals haven’t won more than two in a row since a four-game winning streak from June 20-24. Despite managing seven hits on Monday, only two came from the top five hitters in the lineup, both early-game singles.

Monday’s Game Recap

The Cardinals received a strong start from Andre Pallante in the series opener, but a wild pitch by John King set up Gonzales’ decisive hit.

“That’s why every decision, every pitch, every at-bat seems extremely magnified, because there is no room for error,” St. Louis manager Oliver Marmol said postgame. “The margins have been really thin all year. We’ve played a lot of these games, like the one we played tonight. Yeah, one ball in the dirt leads to the runner moving up and it just changes the game a little bit.”

Conclusion

As the Pirates hope to proceed with their triumphant ways and move into a bind with the Cardinals in the NL Focal, all eyes will be on Nick Gonzales and Paul Skenes to convey strong exhibitions. With Spear Lynn on the hill for the Cardinals, the game vows to be a critical and basic matchup for the two groups.