Pirates at Cardinals, Game 143 Thread

Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

Yesterday, the Cardinals won again! They’ve scored seventeen runs in the past two days and regained control of the NL Central Division lead. Now it’s time for Michael Wacha to lead the way and sweep the Pirates right out of town.

Opposing the rookie starter is Charlie Morton. He is 7-3 with a 3.00 ERA this year, but is 0-1 with a 5.25 ERA against the Cardinals. With the way the Cardinals offense has been hitting, they should be able to put up some runs and give Wacha a lead to work with.

Matt Adams and Jon Jay are back in the lineup with a right-hander on the mound for the Pirates. Strangely, however, Matheny has chosen to leave Pete Kozma in the lineup. His lukewarm bat (2 hits in 2 nights) may currently be the best shortstop option for the Cardinals right now.

As the Cardinals finish up this three game series against the Pirates and the thirteen game stretch against their division rivals, I have to say that it’s gone pretty well. Win or lose tonight, the Cardinals have remained in the thick of the NL Central race and have won at least 6 of their 13 games against very tough teams.

Today, let’s make it seven out of thirteen. Go Cardinals! Leave your comments below.

Useful Fact: Today’s game is free, courtesy of MLB.tv. Just go to MLB.com, click the little TV next to the game score on the left hand side of the screen, and enjoy!

Sad Fact: The Pirates have won 81 games so far this season, guaranteeing them a non-losing season. Since their eighty-first victory, the Pirates have lost three straight, meaning that they are still not guaranteed a winning season. Hopefully, it stays that way today.

Fun Fact: If you say “Wacha” repeatedly, quickly, you will find yourself making the Pacman sound. For real. Try it.