Pittsburgh Pirates vs St. Louis Cardinals Picks and Predictions for Saturday, August 29th, 2026
Pirates vs Cardinals Game Information
The Pittsburgh Pirates stay on the road Sunday afternoon with a 2:15 PM matchup inside Busch Stadium in Saint Louis against the Saint Louis Cardinals. Pittsburgh is 5 games below .500 this season, coming into Sunday having won 3 of the last 5, including a victory Saturday that ended a 2-game losing streak. The Saint Louis Cardinals stay home Sunday, 1 game below .500 after losing 3 of the last 5 games. For more MLB news, see our MLB Picks.
Pirates Preview
Lake Bachar got the start for Pittsburgh on Saturday, giving up 1 run on 1 hit across 2.1 innings of work. Carmen Mlodzinski came on to give up 1 run on 1 hit across 3.1 innings to seal the victory. The rest of the Pittsburgh bullpen was dominant, giving up no runs on 1 hit to close the game. Rafael Flores Jr. led the way for the Pittsburgh offense on Saturday, driving in 3 runs. The Pirates got a balanced attack from the rest of the team as 3 other players drove in 1 run each.
Cardinals Preview
Kyle Leahy started Saturday’s game for the Cardinals, giving up 1 run on 4 hits across 3 innings. Brycen Mautz came on in relief to give up 4 runs on 5 hits across 3 innings, leading to the loss. Joshua Baez was the biggest spark for the St. Louis offense on Saturday with 1 hit to drive in 1 run.
Pirates vs Cardinals Pitching Matchup
Braxton Ashcraft will take the mound Sunday for Pittsburgh. Ashcraft has pitched well this year, posting a 13-5 record and a 3.59 ERA across 155.1 innings. Matthew Liberatore will counter for St. Louis at home. Liberatore is 5-12 with a 5.44 ERA through 129 innings.
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Pirates vs Cardinals Pick
Pittsburgh has a substantial advantage on the mound despite playing this game on the road. Ashcraft has been one of the Pirates most dependable starters, while Liberatore has struggled throughout the season. Take Pittsburgh to capitalize on the pitching mismatch and avoid the sweep with a road victory Sunday afternoon.
- Pick: Pittsburgh Pirates -118
- Secondary: Over 8
- Lean: Brandon Lowe Over 1.5 Bases
Final Score Prediction: Pittsburgh Pirates win 6-4.
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