The St. Louis Cardinals return to Busch Stadium for Tuesday’s divisional battle against the struggling Pittsburgh Pirates with a 14–19 record that doesn’t fully reflect the promise and potential glimpsed in parts of their season so far. Offensively, the Cardinals have delivered consistent production, boasting a .256 team batting average and a .395 slugging percentage, both comfortably above league average and indicative of a lineup capable of inflicting damage across multiple spots in the order. Key contributors like Brendan Donovan, who is hitting an eye-popping .395, and perennial All-Star Nolan Arenado, who sports a .316 average with a .474 slugging percentage, have anchored an attack that’s been more than capable of producing runs—especially against middling pitching staffs like Pittsburgh’s. What has held the Cardinals back, however, has been inconsistent pitching; their staff holds a team ERA of 4.31 and has allowed 154 runs in just 33 games, a number that has repeatedly put the offense in catch-up mode. Their starters have had difficulty going deep into games, and while the bullpen has shown moments of stability, it has struggled in high-leverage situations, often surrendering leads late and allowing tight contests to slip away.

Still, the Cardinals have managed to cover the spread in 20 of their 33 games this season, suggesting that despite their struggles, they’ve remained competitive in most matchups and delivered when it comes to in-game execution, especially on the offensive side. Playing at home, St. Louis has an opportunity to lean into its strengths—timely hitting, veteran leadership, and a deep lineup—and set the tone early against a Pirates team that has lacked both offensive firepower and late-game poise. Manager Oli Marmol will likely emphasize the importance of jumping on Pittsburgh’s pitching early, giving his own staff a cushion to work with and reducing the pressure on a bullpen that has been overexposed at times. Defensively, the Cardinals have been solid, and if they can minimize mistakes and give their pitchers clean innings to work with, they’ll be in prime position to dictate tempo and control the flow of the game. Their ability to consistently generate traffic on the bases and create run-scoring opportunities with quality at-bats and productive outs gives them a significant advantage over a Pirates team that often struggles to even put the ball in play. This game also offers the Cardinals a much-needed chance to begin building momentum within the division, especially against a Pittsburgh team that is reeling and vulnerable. If St. Louis can execute in the early innings and play to their offensive strengths, they’ll be poised not only to win this game but to start reversing their early-season narrative and climb back into contention in what remains a very open National League Central race.