Pittsburgh Pirates vs. St. Louis Cardinals Betting Preview
Where: Busch Stadium – St. Louis, Missouri
When: Sunday, October 2, 2016, 3:15 PM ET
Line: Pittsburgh Pirates at St. Louis Cardinals – view all MLB lines
Writer’s Pick: St. Louis Cardinals
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Betting on the Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates have seemingly packed it in for the 2016 season. They’ve gone just 1-6-1 in their last eight games, and were even involved in the first tie in MLB since 2005.
39-year-old Ryan Vogelsong will get the ball for the final time this season – and possibly his career. If it is his last ever start, he’ll want to go out on a high. Unfortunately, his past starts don’t really point to a happy ending.
Vogelsong had a truly horrendous September. He reached five innings just once in his last five starts, with an ugly 8.72 ERA. The Pirates have gone just 1-5 in his last six starts.
Vogelsong’s lone start of the season against the Cardinals did not go so well. He surrendered five runs on six hits in just four innings, as the Pirates lost 9-7 on Sept. 6.
Betting on the St. Louis Cardinals
The Cardinals have been in must-win mode for the past week or so in order to keep their playoff dreams alive, and they’ve been able to deliver thus far. They’re 4-1 in their last five games, and have won the first two games in the series against the Pirates.
The Cards’ playoff fate is not in their own hands. They need to win and hope the Giants lose to the Dodgers in order to force a play-in game with San Francisco. But the Cards can only worry about holding up their end of the bargain, and they’ll be relying on none other than ace Adam Wainwright to deliver the big win.
Wainwright has been un-ace-like for the past two months. Over his last 12 starts, he’s gone just 4-4 with a 5.75 ERA. He’s given up at least four earned runs in four of his last five starts.
However, the Cards offense has given him sufficient run support. They’ve scored at least 10 runs in three of his last five starts. That includes 12 runs in his start against Pittsburgh on Sept. 5. Wainwright went five innings, giving up four earned runs on seven hits in a 12-6 Cards win.
Writer’s Prediction
The Cardinals take care of business with an 8-3 win over the Pirates.
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