Getting the start for the Cardinals (55-71, 27-34 away) will be Adam Wainwright against Johan Oviedo for the Pirates (56-69, 30-32 home). Today marks game two of their series, with the Pirates currently holding the 1-0 lead. Read on to see my best bet for this St. Louis Cardinals vs. Pittsburgh Pirates matchup.

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS VS PITTSBURGH PIRATES BETTING PICK

The Pick: St. Louis Cardinals +118

This game will be played at PNC Park at 7:05 ET on Tuesday, August 22nd.

WHY BET THE ST. LOUIS CARDINALS:

  • The Cardinals will be taking on a Pirates club that is just 2-3 over their last five games.
  • As the road underdog, the Cardinals’ win streak currently stands at two games.
  • The Cardinals have gone 1-2 in Johan Oviedo’s last three starts.

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS SEEK TO IMPROVE THEIR ROAD RECORD

Entering game 127 of their season, the Cardinals are 13.5 games out in the NL Central and are in 5th place. So far, their overall series record stands at 15-19-5. St. Louis’ road winning percent is currently 44.3% (27-34) compared to 43.1% at home (28-37).

Adam Wainwright has made 16 appearances this season, with a .602 slugging percentage allowed and a 2.01 WHIP. His overall record is 3-8, with an ERA of 8.42 and 41 strikeouts, averaging 5.08 K/9 innings. On the road, he has a 2-2 record and 15.84 ERA; at home, he is 1-6 with an 11.72 ERA.

Adam Wainwright will look to build on his last outing, in which he pitched six innings and gave up three earned runs on four hits. Unfortunately, the Cardinals were unable to come away with the win, losing 4-2 to the Mets.

The Cardinals have been one of the top power lineups in the league of late, having hit 12 home runs over their last ten games. Compared to other clubs, this is 6th best in that span. For the season, they are ranked 5th in home runs and 7th in slugging percentage. Overall, St. Louis is averaging 4.6 runs per game (13th).

Nolan Arenado has been a major contributor to the Cardinals’ offensive success in 2023, leading the team in home runs with 26 and RBIs with 85. His slugging percentage of .505 is also impressive.

WILL THE PITTSBURGH PIRATES TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

The Pirates’ record of 56-69 has them ranked 4th in the NL Central. So far, they have a below .500 series record of 11-23-5. This season, they have gone 30-32 at home and 26-37 on the road.

Johan Oviedo has had a challenging season with the Pirates, posting a 6-13 record in 25 appearances. His ERA stands at 4.55, and he has recorded 7.95 strikeouts per nine innings. His FIP is 4.41 and opposing batters have a .318 on-base percentage against him.

Johan Oviedo’s last start resulted in a 8-3 loss to the Mets. During the game, he gave up four runs on five hits over four innings of work.

Having gone deep 9 times in their last ten games, the Pirates are 9th in that span. At 4.2 runs per game, Pittsburgh is 22nd in the league. This figure has come on a team batting average of .235 while hitting a total of 123 home runs (20th).

Jack Suwinski is the Pirates’ leader in home runs this season, with 21 long balls and 54 RBIs. His slugging percentage for the year is a solid .440.