St. Louis Cardinals vs Philadelphia Phillies Picks and Prediction for Sunday August 23 2026

The St. Louis Cardinals visit the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on Sunday at 1:35 PM ET. St. Louis is 66-64 and third in the NL Central after a 7-6, 10-inning loss to Philadelphia on Friday. The Cardinals are 2.5 games behind the final National League Wild Card position and have lost three of their last five. Philadelphia is 71-58 and second in the NL East after extending its winning streak to seven games. The Phillies currently hold an NL Wild Card spot. Check Sunday’s betting outlook with our free MLB picks.

St. Louis Cardinals Look to Stay Close in Wild Card Race

St. Louis has scored at least four runs in four of its last five games, including 10 against Cincinnati and six in Friday’s extra-inning loss. The Cardinals are batting .241 with a .318 on-base percentage and .382 slugging percentage while scoring 578 runs. Jordan Walker leads the lineup with a .291 average, 27 home runs and 96 RBI. Alec Burleson is batting .289 with 21 homers and 93 RBI, while Ivan Herrera owns a team-best .360 on-base percentage.

The Cardinals have been competitive away from home at 34-30, but pitching has been closer to the middle of the league. St. Louis owns a 4.04 ERA and 1.33 WHIP while opponents are batting .250. The staff has allowed only 126 home runs, one of its stronger season numbers, while recording 1,000 strikeouts. St. Louis needs another steady outing after allowing seven runs Friday and six in the previous extra-inning loss at Cincinnati.

Injuries: Ramon Urias (60-Day IL), Hunter Dobbins (Day-To-Day), Andre Pallante (15-Day IL), Max Rajcic (60-Day IL).

Philadelphia Phillies Try to Extend Seven-Game Winning Streak

Philadelphia enters Sunday in its best recent stretch, winning seven straight games and scoring at least four runs in every victory. The Phillies are batting .242 with a .313 on-base percentage and .402 slugging percentage while scoring 581 runs. Kyle Schwarber leads the power production with 37 home runs and 74 RBI. Bryce Harper has 25 homers, 72 RBI and a .379 on-base percentage, while Brandon Marsh is batting a team-high .277.

The Phillies are 36-30 at Citizens Bank Park and have scored 30 runs across their last five games. Philadelphia’s pitching staff owns a 4.12 ERA and 1.31 WHIP while holding opponents to a .250 batting average. The Phillies have recorded 1,259 strikeouts and 55 quality starts this season. Friday’s 7-6 win showed Philadelphia can finish close games, and the current winning streak has included both low-scoring and higher-scoring victories.

Injuries: Rafael Marchan (10-Day IL), Caleb Kilian (15-Day IL), Tanner Banks (60-Day IL), Felix Reyes (60-Day IL), Johan Rojas (60-Day IL).

Pitching Matchup

St. Louis Cardinals – Kyle Leahy

Leahy is 10-4 with a 3.24 ERA and 1.31 WHIP across 122.1 innings. The right-hander has allowed 125 hits, 35 walks, and 12 home runs while striking out 111. Leahy has limited walks well for his workload and has kept his ERA comfortably below the Cardinals’ overall staff mark.

Philadelphia Phillies – Cristopher Sanchez

Sanchez is 16-4 with a 2.51 ERA and 1.22 WHIP through 161.2 innings. The left-hander has allowed 159 hits, 38 walks, and 13 home runs while recording 187 strikeouts. Sanchez has worked considerably more innings than Leahy and enters with the lower ERA, lower WHIP and much higher strikeout total.

St. Louis Cardinals vs Philadelphia Phillies Game Pick

• Philadelphia Phillies

Philadelphia gets the call behind Sanchez and its current seven-game winning streak. Sanchez is 16-4 with a 2.51 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 187 strikeouts across 161.2 innings, giving the Phillies the stronger starting pitcher. St. Louis has been competitive on the road and Leahy owns a solid 3.24 ERA, so the matchup is not one-sided. Philadelphia’s offense has also scored at least four runs in seven straight victories. That combination of recent form and starting pitching makes the Phillies the play Sunday.

St. Louis Cardinals vs Philadelphia Phillies Over/Under Pick

• Over

Recent scoring gives the over enough support despite both starters entering with strong ERAs. St. Louis has scored 28 runs across its last five games, with four of those contests reaching at least nine combined runs. Philadelphia has produced 30 runs during its last five and has scored six or more in four of them. Leahy and Sanchez can both limit damage, but neither bullpen is backed by a team ERA below 4.00. The recent offensive production on both sides makes the over the play Sunday.