Pittsburgh Pirates vs St. Louis Cardinals Prediction & Picks - MLB

Prediction published on 6/12/24, 7:47 AM  by Lou Aguila | Modified on 6/12/24 at 7:50 AM in MLB Picks

The Pittsburgh Pirates will attempt to secure their fourth win in five games as they brace for a stiffer challenge from the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 2 of their NL Central Division series. The Pirates are steadily moving up in the NL Central standings after winning six of their first nine games this June. They are currently second in their division with a 32-34 record, trailing only the Milwaukee Brewers (39-28) by 6.5 games. The Cardinals carry a 4-6 record this June, which put them in the bottom of their division with 31-34 record. It's still possible for them to get out the cellar at the end of this series since only 0.5 games separate them and the No.2 Pirates.

Players to Watch: Oneil Cruz has recorded an RBI in four of the Pirates' last five games. Cruz is batting .243 with 9 homers and 26 RBIs this season. Nolan Gorman has racked up seven homers and 12 RBIs over the last 15 days for the Cardinals.

Players Matchup: Pirates lefty Bailey Falter (3-3, 3.69 ERA with 44 strikeouts) will square it up with Cardinals righty Sonny Gray (7-4, 3.21 ERA with 82 strikeouts).