Michael Wacha will likely be making his last start of the regular season when the St. Louis Cardinals continue their series against the Pittsburgh Pirates Wednesday afternoon. In the three games Wacha has started against the Bucs this season, the Cards are a perfect 3-0.
With a win the Cardinals clinch the NL Central for their third consecutive season. The Pirates will need to figure out Wacha who has posted a 1.93 ERA while only allowing four earned runs in 18.2 innings against Pittsburgh this season.
The Pirates will counter with Gerrit Cole who has yet to face the Cardinals season. Cole has cooled off in the second half of the season posting a 5-5 record with a 3.01 ERA after the All-Star Break.
The two teams were supposed to meet on Tuesday, but after the game got rained out a doubleheader was scheduled for Wednesday.
Team Betting Records & Power Rankings
95-62 Pittsburgh battles the Cardinals, currently with a 99-58 mark. Stay Informed: follow us on Twitter for odds specials, betting line moves and Pittsburgh vs St. Louis injuries news.
The Odds Shark MLB Power Rankings have the Pittsburgh Pirates at No. 8 and the St. Louis Cardinals at No. 16 heading into this contest.
Statistical Matchup
Rating these teams in several key categories is important for handicappers and Pittsburgh has baseball's No. 14-rated offensive output, at 9.09 hits per game. The St. Louis Cardinals average 8.62 hits per game, good for No. 14 on the list.
Defensively, St. Louis features the No. 1-rated defense on the road, allowing 3.34 runs per game. Pittsburgh, meanwhile, comes in at No. 16 at home, scoring 4.25 runs per game.
Recent Outings Betting Recap
The Cardinals didn't allow a single run in their last start, as their staff shut out Pittsburgh 3-0 on Monday at PNC Park.
Next Betting Matchups
St. Louis at Pittsburgh, Wednesday, September 30th