Pirates at Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals just won’t let another team get close to them in the National League Central Division. The Cardinals will try to make it an eight-game spread and complete a three-game sweep when they host the second-place Pittsburgh Pirates in Thursday's series finale.
St. Louis came from behind to grab a 4-3 win in the series opener and took advantage of some poor Pirates defense in a 4-2 victory Wednesday. Pittsburgh committed a pair of errors Wednesday and is struggling in the infield with Pedro Alvarez at first, Aramis Ramirez finishing up his career at third and Jung Ho Kang learning how to play shortstop in the major leagues. The Pirates, who dipped to 26-28 on the road, are 0-2 on a six-game trip that will take them to NL East-leading New York this weekend. Francisco Liriano will try to guide Pittsburgh to a win for the eighth straight time while St. Louis counters with Lance Lynn.
TV: 7:15 p.m. ET, ROOT (Pittsburgh), FSN Midwest (St. Louis)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Pirates LH Francisco Liriano (7-6, 3.13 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Lance Lynn (9-6, 2.76)
Liriano is 3-0 in his last seven starts, and the Pirates have gone on to earn the win in each of those outings. The Dominican Republic native only lasted three innings and was reached for four runs and seven hits against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday, but the offense bailed him out in a 6-5 win. Liriano allowed two runs on five hits and four walks in 6 1/3 innings of a no-decision against St. Louis on June 12 and is 4-2 with a 2.42 ERA in 11 career starts against the division rivals.
Lynn issued four walks in six innings at Milwaukee on Friday but scattered six hits without allowing a run to earn the win. The 28-year-old has surrendered two or fewer earned runs in 16 of his 21 starts. One of Lynn’s few tough turns came at Pittsburgh on July 10, when he was reached for five runs and nine hits in four innings to absorb the loss.
WALK-OFFS
1. Nine of the 12 meetings this season have been decided by two or fewer runs.
2. Pirates RF Gregory Polanco is 6-for-8 in the series with a pair of runs scored.
3. Pittsburgh LF Starling Marte left Wednesday’s game with discomfort in his left hand and is day-to-day.