St. Louis Cardinals vs Pittsburgh Pirates Picks and Predictions September 16th 2024

The forecast for Monday’s Pirates vs. Cardinals game calls for scattered clouds and temperatures in the low 90s. This NL Central matchup is set for 7:45 PM ET from Busch Stadium in St. Louis, and the Pirates are the slight money line favorite (-140). The Cardinals are +119 on the money line, and the over/under line is currently at 7 runs.

Paul Skenes is starting for the Pirates, and he is facing off against Andre Pallante. The Pirates are 5th in the NL Central with a record of 71-78, while the Cardinals are 3rd in the division at 74-75. SN PT is carrying this game on TV.

Pittsburgh vs. St. Louis Key Information

Pittsburgh is sending right-hander Paul Skenes to the mound today vs. the Cardinals. He has made 20 starts this season and has a record of 10-2 with an ERA of 2.10. Skenes has made 14 quality starts this year and is coming off an outing in which he went 6 innings, giving up just one earned run and getting the win. In that outing, he gave up six hits, one walk, and one homer. Looking back at his last three outings, Skenes has given up a homer in each of them. Per nine innings, he is averaging 11.32 strikeouts and 2.33 walks.

Heading into today’s game, the Pirates’ offense is averaging 4.2 runs per game, which is only 20th in the league. They have been even worse in terms of power, as their 144 home runs is 22nd in the MLB. As a team, they are batting just .236, and their on-base percentage of .303 is also near the bottom of the league.

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Andrew McCutchen is 2nd on the Pirates with 20 homers this season, but he is batting just .237 for the season and has gone 4/17 in his last five games. Bryan Reynolds has been hot of late, going 10/23 in his last six games, and he is also on a six-game hitting streak. Reynolds is 1st on the team with 85 RBIs and 22 homers.

Right-hander Andre Pallante gets the start for the Cardinals today as he faces the Pirates at home. Pallante has made 17 starts this season and has a record of 6-8 with an ERA of 4.13. So far, he has turned in five quality starts and is coming off a rough outing vs. the Reds, where he took the loss and gave up three earned runs in five innings of work. Before that, he had allowed just two earned runs in three straight outings. Pallante’s WHIP for the season is 1.40, and opponents are batting .230 off him this year.

Heading into today’s game, the Cardinals are 25th in the league in runs scored, averaging just 4.1 runs per contest. They are also near the bottom of the league in home runs and have a collective on-base percentage of just .309, which is 15th in the league. As a team, they are batting .246, which is 12th in the league.

Over his last five games, Brendan Donovan has gone 4/16 with a home run and two RBIs. For the season, he is batting .270 with 12 homers and 63 RBIs. Alec Burleson and Paul Goldschmidt are tied for the team lead in homers, with 21, and Burleson also leads the team with 73 RBIs. Masyn Winn is also having a solid season at the plate, with a batting average of .271 and 13 home runs.

Our lean in this one is to take the Cardinals to come out on top at home. We are also leaning towards taking the over, as this is projected to be the 3rd lowest-scoring game of the day. St. Louis comes into this one with our 3rd highest team hits projection. Pirates starter Paul Skenes is 13th in our projections in starting pitcher strikeouts, while Andre Pallante is 2nd worst among today’s starters.

Pirates Send Surging Paul Skenes to Face Cardinals

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes has been nothing short of sensational during his transition from college baseball to the big leagues. The 24-year-old rookie has shown no signs of slowing down, boasting a 2-0 record with a 0.82 ERA in two September starts. As the season nears its conclusion, Skenes (10-2, 2.10 ERA) aims to maintain his stellar form when the Pirates (71-78) visit the St. Louis Cardinals (74-75) on Monday in the opener of a four-game series at Busch Stadium.

“I’m not tired, really,” Skenes remarked after his impressive 3-2 victory over the Miami Marlins on Sept. 9. “Not feeling anything abnormal. It’s just a matter of finishing in the sprint to the end here.”

Despite being handled with care by the Pirates, Skenes has proven himself as one of the top young pitchers in the game. After beginning the year in the minor leagues, where he pitched 27 1/3 innings over seven starts, he made his major league debut on May 11. Since then, Skenes has thrown 120 innings across 20 starts, racking up 151 strikeouts.

To put his strikeout prowess into perspective, only a few rookies have fanned more batters in their first 20 games since 1901. Skenes joins an elite group that includes Kerry Wood (179 strikeouts in 1998), Hideo Nomo (175 in 1995), Dwight Gooden (162 in 1984), and Mark Prior (154 in 2002-03).

“I can’t think of anybody I’ve seen that’s been that strikeout-heavy, especially early in their career,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “I’ve watched guys that have done it who have been elite pitchers throughout their careers, but I don’t know that I remember anybody being a rookie that has been like that.”

Success Against Cardinals

Skenes has already shown his mettle against the Cardinals this season. In two starts, he’s 0-1 with a 1.23 ERA, having struck out 16 batters and walked none over 14 2/3 innings. The Cardinals have managed just two runs against him, courtesy of a solo homer from Nolan Arenado and an RBI single by Alec Burleson.

With five wins in their last seven games, the Pirates are catching the Cardinals at a vulnerable time. St. Louis has been in an offensive slump, scoring just seven runs in a three-game sweep by the Toronto Blue Jays over the weekend. The Cardinals’ struggles with runners in scoring position were evident, as they went just 2-for-27 in such situations.

“Offensively, we just haven’t had the ability to execute, plain and simple,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said after Sunday’s 3-2 loss to the Blue Jays. “There’s no talking around it or excusing it. We just don’t score enough runs right now to win games, especially to go on a run.”

Pallante Looks to Rebound

The Cardinals will turn to right-hander Andre Pallante (6-8, 4.13 ERA) in hopes of snapping their offensive woes. Pallante had a solid August, going 2-1 with a 3.30 ERA in five starts, but he has struggled mightily in September. In his two outings this month, he is 0-2 with a 7.20 ERA, having allowed eight runs on 11 hits and 10 walks in 10 innings.

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“I definitely felt like I wasted a lot of pitches, just non-competitive pitches early on counts,” Pallante said after a 3-0 loss to the Cincinnati Reds last Tuesday. “I made a lot of really good pitches, but I wasted too many. Definitely something I can improve on.”

Pallante has pitched well against Pittsburgh this season, allowing just two runs on seven hits across 13 innings in two starts. He comes into Monday’s game with a 1.38 ERA against the Pirates this year. Throughout his career, Pallante has been effective against Pittsburgh, posting a 3.33 ERA in 15 appearances, though most of those came in relief.

A Critical Series for Both Teams

As the Pirates and Cardinals meet for this four-game series, both teams are looking to finish the season strong. For Pittsburgh, Skenes represents hope for the future, and his continued success could pave the way for a brighter 2024 campaign. Meanwhile, St. Louis is trying to break out of its offensive slump and make a final push to climb the standings in the competitive National League Central.

The stage is set for another exciting matchup between two rivals with something to prove.