St. Louis Cardinals vs Pittsburgh Pirates Picks and Predictions September 19th 2024

BSMW will be televising Thursday’s Pirates vs. Cardinals matchup, with the first pitch from Busch Stadium being set for 7:15 PM ET. The Cardinals are the betting favorite on the money line (-139), while the Pirates come in with a line of +119. The over/under line is sitting at 8 runs.

Pittsburgh will be looking to snap a three-game losing streak, as they are 71-81 and in 5th place in the NL Central. The Cardinals (77-75) are 2nd in the NL Central and have won three straight. Luis L. Ortiz is starting for the Pirates, and he is facing off against Erick Fedde.

Pittsburgh vs. St. Louis Key Information

• Teams: Pirates at Cardinals
• Where: Busch Stadium St. Louis
• Date: Thursday, September 19th
• Betting Odds STL -139 | PIT +119 O/U 8

The Pirates Can Win If…

Pittsburgh is sending Luis L. Ortiz to the mound today vs. the Cardinals, and he comes in with a record of 6-6 and an ERA of 3.45. So far, Ortiz has made 13 starts, and he has pitched well on the road, coming in with a record of 4-3 and an ERA of 3.45. In his last outing, he took the loss, giving up four earned runs in four innings of work. Before that, he had won two straight starts. Ortiz’s ERA for the month of September is 4.14. One of his issues this year has been the long ball, as he has given up 15 homers.

So far this season, the Pirates are averaging 4.2 runs per game, which is 22nd in the league. They have been a little better at home, averaging 4.3 runs per game. Overall, they are batting just .236 as a team, and their on-base percentage of .302 is also near the bottom of the league. Pittsburgh’s team OPS of .673 is 24th in the MLB.

Bryan Reynolds has been the Pirates’ top hitter this season, batting .280 with 22 homers and 85 RBIs. He is also on a five-game hitting streak. Andrew McCutchen and Bryan De La Cruz have also gone deep 20 times this season, but De La Cruz is batting just .234, and McCutchen is hitting .237. De La Cruz has gone just 2/15 in his last four games.

• The Pirates are 5-5 in their last ten games.
• Over their last five games, the Pirates are 1-4 vs. the run line.
• Pittsburgh has an over/under record of 4-6 in their last ten games.
• The Pirates have an average of 2.2 runs per game over their last five games.
• Across their last ten road games, the Pirates are 3-7
• Looking back across the Pirates last five games as the favorite, they are 4-1
• Pittsburgh has gone 1-2 in their last three games as the underdog
• In their ten most recent road games, the Pirates have averaged 2.8 runs per game on offense

The Cardinals Can Win If…

Right-hander Erick Fedde gets the start for the Cardinals today as he faces off against the Pirates. He has made 29 starts this season and has a record of 8-9 with a 3.45 ERA. Looking at his overall numbers, Fedde has a WHIP of 1.18 and has issued just 2.74 walks per nine innings compared to 7.72 strikeouts. Fedde’s last outing came against the Blue Jays, where he gave up three earned runs in five innings of work. He finished with a no-decision in that outing. Before that, he had lost three straight starts.

St. Louis has been one of the league’s worst offenses this season, averaging just 4.1 runs per game. This is not only 24th in the league but also 24th in the league in terms of road games and 18th in the league in home games. As a team, they are batting .246, which is 10th in the league, and are also near the top of the league in terms of on-base percentage. However, they are just 20th in home runs and have a collective slugging percentage of .389.

Over his last eight games, Brendan Donovan has gone 8/27 with two homers and five RBIs. This has pushed his season average to .271, which is 2nd best on the team. Alec Burleson and Paul Goldschmidt are tied for the team lead with 21 homers, but Goldschmidt is batting just .244 for the season.

• The Cardinals are 5-5 in their last ten games.
• Over their last five games, the Cardinals are 4-1 vs. the run line.
• St. Louis has an over/under record of 3-7 in their last ten games.
• The Cardinals have an average of 4.2 runs per game over their last five games.
• Across their last ten home games, the Cardinals are 5-5
• Looking back across the Cardinals last five games as the favorite, they are 4-1
• St. Louis has gone 1-2 in their last three games as the underdog
• In their ten most recent road games, the Cardinals have averaged 4.6 runs per game on offense

Cardinals Aim for Sweep Against Pirates as Jordan Walker Continues Hot Streak

The St. Louis Cardinals are using the final stretch of their season to build momentum for 2024, with a strong focus on developing young talent, particularly outfielder Jordan Walker. In Wednesday night’s 10-5 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates, Walker extended his hitting streak to five games, going 5-for-15 over that span with two doubles, two homers, and six RBIs.

Walker, who had a midseason stint in Triple-A Memphis, has found his groove since rejoining the big-league club, now batting .271 in September with an impressive .897 OPS. His recent performance offers a bright spot for the Cardinals and signals his growth as a key player for the team’s future.

The Cardinals (77-75) will aim to complete a four-game sweep of the Pirates (71-81) on Thursday night in St. Louis, continuing their late-season resurgence.

Erick Fedde Takes the Mound for Cardinals

The Cardinals will send right-hander Erick Fedde (8-9, 3.45 ERA) to the mound as they look to finish the series strong. Fedde, who was acquired from the Chicago White Sox, has had mixed results, posting a 4.43 ERA in eight starts since joining the team. He is looking to rebound from his most recent outing, where he allowed three runs over five innings against the Toronto Blue Jays last Friday.

Although Fedde hasn’t faced the Pirates this season, he has performed well against them in the past, holding a 1-0 record with a 3.60 ERA in two career appearances.

Pirates Turn to Luis Ortiz in Series Finale

The Pirates, who have lost five of their last six games, will try to avoid being swept as they turn to Luis Ortiz (6-6, 3.45 ERA) on the mound. Ortiz has struggled recently, allowing 11 runs (seven earned) over his last two starts, including an 8-3 loss to the Kansas City Royals last Friday. His history against the Cardinals has also been shaky, with an 0-2 record and a 14.63 ERA in four career appearances.

Roster Moves and Injury Updates

Both teams made key roster adjustments ahead of Wednesday’s game. The Cardinals placed Lance Lynn on the 15-day injured list with right knee inflammation, calling up Michael McGreevy from Triple-A Memphis. McGreevy played a crucial role in Wednesday’s win, striking out four over three scoreless innings.

The Pirates placed reliever Kyle Nicolas on the injured list with a back issue, and Oneil Cruz was again held out of the starting lineup due to lingering ankle soreness.

Looking Ahead

As the Cardinals look to maintain their winning streak and complete the sweep, the continued development of players like Jordan Walker will be crucial as they focus on 2024. For the Pirates, avoiding the sweep and finding positives in the final games of the season will be key.

With Erick Fedde and Luis Ortiz set to face off, Thursday’s game offers another opportunity for both teams to build on their respective goals as the season winds down.

The Lean

Today’s Pirates vs. Cardinals matchup is projected to be a low-scoring game, but with the line sitting at 8 runs, we are still leaning towards taking the over. As for a straight-up pick, we are leaning towards the Cardinals to come out on top. St. Louis starter Erick Fedde has the 7th best odds to pick up a win among today’s starters, while Luis L. Ortiz is projected to have a short outing for the Pirates.