Pittsburgh Pirates vs St. Louis Cardinals Picks and Prediction for Saturday, August 29, 2026

The Pittsburgh Pirates visit the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium on Saturday, with the first pitch scheduled for 2:15 PM ET. Pittsburgh is 65-70, fourth in the NL Central and 7.5 games behind San Diego for the final NL Wild Card spot. The Pirates are 2-3 over their last five after Wednesday’s 3-0 loss at San Diego. St. Louis is 67-68, third in the NL Central and 5.5 games out of the final Wild Card position. The Cardinals are 1-4 over their last five after Thursday’s 7-5 win over Baltimore. Check out our free MLB picks.

Pittsburgh Pirates Search for More Road Offense

Pittsburgh has struggled to score lately, producing only seven runs across its last five games. The Pirates were shut out twice during that stretch, including Wednesday’s loss to San Diego, but still won two games against the Padres. Pittsburgh has been stronger in day games at 33-24, although its 31-38 road record has kept the club below .500. For the season, the Pirates rank fifth in MLB with a .252 batting average while scoring 657 runs with 158 home runs.

Nick Gonzales leads Pittsburgh with a .305 average and 145 hits, while Bryan Reynolds has a .263 average, .370 on-base percentage and 15 home runs. Brandon Lowe supplies the biggest power threat with 27 homers and 80 RBIs. Oneil Cruz has added 17 home runs and 22 stolen bases in 72 games. Pittsburgh’s pitching staff ranks 19th in MLB with a 4.22 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and .238 opponent batting average.

Injuries: Konnor Griffin and Mitch Keller are on the 60-Day IL. Ryan O’Hearn and Endy Rodriguez are on the 10-Day IL.

St. Louis Cardinals Aim to Build on Thursday’s Win

St. Louis snapped a four-game losing streak with Thursday’s 7-5 victory over Baltimore. The Cardinals scored 24 runs across their last five games, but opponents produced 44 during that same stretch. St. Louis is 33-36 at Busch Stadium and 25-29 in day games. The Cardinals rank 20th in MLB batting with a .241 average and have scored 600 runs with 141 home runs. St. Louis also leads the season series against Pittsburgh 5-2.

Alec Burleson has been St. Louis’ top run producer, batting .292 with 21 home runs, 99 RBIs and 149 hits. Jordan Walker is another major threat with a .286 average, 27 homers and 97 RBIs. Ivan Herrera owns a .361 on-base percentage, while JJ Wetherholt has scored a team-high 88 runs and stolen 14 bases. The Cardinals rank 20th in MLB pitching with a 4.24 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and .254 opponent batting average.

Injuries: Blaze Jordan is day-to-day. Masyn Winn and Everson Pereira are on the 10-Day IL, while Andre Pallante and Peter Strzelecki are on the 15-Day IL.

Pitching Matchup

Pittsburgh Pirates - Undecided

Pittsburgh Pirates had not yet announced their starting pitcher at the time this preview was written.

St. Louis Cardinals - Kyle Leahy

Leahy is 10-4 with a 3.13 ERA and 1.30 WHIP through 126.1 innings. The right-hander has allowed 127 hits and 37 walks while recording 115 strikeouts. Leahy has surrendered only 12 home runs over that workload.

Pittsburgh Pirates vs St. Louis Cardinals Game Pick

• St. Louis Cardinals

St. Louis has won five of seven meetings against Pittsburgh this season and has the stronger starting pitching numbers for Saturday. The Cardinals also ended their four-game skid with seven runs against Baltimore, while Pittsburgh has scored only seven runs across its last five contests. Jordan Walker and Alec Burleson have combined for 48 home runs and 196 RBIs, providing two proven threats in the middle of the order. With Pittsburgh struggling to score and St. Louis owning the season series, the Cardinals are Saturday’s play.

Pittsburgh Pirates vs St. Louis Cardinals Over/Under Pick

• Under

Pittsburgh’s recent scoring results make the lower-scoring side of this matchup attractive. The Pirates have managed only seven runs over their last five games and were shut out twice during that span. St. Louis has allowed plenty of runs recently, but Kyle Leahy owns a 3.13 ERA with only 12 home runs allowed across 126.1 innings. Pittsburgh also scored four runs or fewer in five straight games. With the Pirates producing little offense lately, the under is the play for Saturday afternoon in St. Louis.