Friday, May 9, 7:05 PM on FSMW, ROOT

PNC Park, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

St Louis Cardinals - Wacha, M (2-3) vs. Pittsburgh Pirates - Liriano, F (0-3)

For Updated Odds on This Game Click Here

Friday night, the St. Louis Cardinals will send Michael Wacha to the mound to face the Pittsburgh Pirates and Francisco Liriano. Both pitchers will be making their 8th starts of the season.

Michael Wacha comes into this one with a 2 – 3 record and an ERA of 2.55 after losing his last start.  In that outing, Wacha surrendered just 2 runs on 5 hits (including a home run) with 3 walks and 6 strikeouts in 6 innings of work.   Despite his record, Wacha has had no problem getting strikeouts.  He is averaging 10.63 strikeouts per 9 innings and that number is up from last season when he averaged 9.05 as he compiled a 4 – 1 record and a 2.79 ERA in 9 starts and 6 relief appearances.

In 2013, Wacha held the Pirates scoreless in 9 innings as he went 1 – 0 in a start and a relief appearance.  He only gave up 2 hits in his rookie season to Pirate hitters and should have no problem this time around.

Francisco Liriano pitched to a third straight no decision in his last start.  It left his record at 0 – 3 as his ERA rose to 4.54.  Liriano gave up 5 runs on 6 hits with 3 walks and 3 strikeouts in just 3.2 innings of work.   With Liriano still searching for his first win, it will be tough for him to match last season’s record of 16 – 8 with an ERA of 3.02 in 26 starts. 

In 2013, Liriano went 3 – 0 with a 0.75 ERA in 3 starts against the Cardinals.  This season, he has a loss and a no decision against St. Louis.  Liriano might want to pitch around Mark Ellis because Ellis is a career .571 hitter with a homer and 4 RBIs against the left-hander.     

St Louis Cardinals Betting Trends

St Louis Cardinals are 13-19-2 against the Over/Under

Run Differential for St Louis Cardinals is 0.3

Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Trends

Pittsburgh Pirates are 15-16-2 against the Over/Under

Run differential for Pittsburgh Pirates is -0.5

Injuries to Watch

St Louis Cardinals

04/17/14 P Joe Kelly Hamstring 15-day DL (4/17)
03/30/14 P Jaime Garcia Shoulder 15-day DL (3/21)
03/28/14 P Jason Motte Elbow 15-day DL (3/21)

Pittsburgh Pirates

05/04/14 P Stolmy Pimentel Shoulder 15-day DL (5/2)
04/26/14 P Jason Grilli Oblique 15-day DL (4/21)
04/26/14 C Russell Martin Hamstring 15-day DL (4/26)
04/23/14 P Wandy Rodriguez Knee 15-day DL (4/21)

Josh's Pick: Take Baltimore

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