Pittsburgh Pirates vs St. Louis Cardinals Prediction, 9/18/2024 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Pittsburgh Pirates vs St. Louis Cardinals

Date: Wednesday, September 18, 2024

Location: Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MO

TV: Bally Sports Midwest

Odds/Point Spread: Pittsburgh (+118) St. Louis (-141)

Busch Stadium is the site where the St. Louis Cardinals (75-75) will meet the Pittsburgh Pirates (71-79) on Wednesday. The line on this contest has Pittsburgh at +118 while St. Louis is coming in at -141. The over/under is set at O8.0. The starting pitchers are Joey Wentz and Sonny Gray.

Pittsburgh is slugging .370 and have struck out 1,389 times, while taking a walk on 451 occasions. They have accounted for 605 runs batted in in addition to 1,194 base knocks so far this year, and their average at the plate is at .235. The Pirates have accumulated 220 two-baggers as a squad and have hit 144 balls out of the park. They have accounted for 627 runs while holding a team OBP of .302. As a team, the Pittsburgh Pirates are putting up 4.2 runs per game, which has them sitting at 21st in the league.

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The Pirates have an earned run average of 4.13 on the season (19th in the league), and they have rung up 1,253 hitters. Pirates pitchers have relinquished 156 home runs and also 684 total runs (21st in the league). Their pitching staff has walked 470 hitters and their FIP sits at 4.05 as a squad on the season. Pittsburgh has relinquished 1,282 base hits (8.6 per 9 innings) in addition to 613 earned runs. Their K/BB ratio is 2.67 and the pitching staff holds a collective WHIP of 1.31.

Pirates relief pitchers have come into the game with runners on 122 times and also have had 157 appearances in high leverage situations. The relief pitchers have 79 holds on the season (14th in MLB). The Pirates relief pitchers have earned a save rate of 57.6% and has entered the game in 146 save situations. They have earned 38 saves over the course of the season and have blown 28 of 66 save opportunities. The relief pitchers have inherited 185 runners on the campaign with 33.0% of those players earned a run for their team. The Pirates have sent 469 relievers to the hill for the season.

The Pirates have turned 68.6% of balls hit into play into outs out of 12,021 innings on the field, which has them sitting at 23rd in MLB. The Pittsburgh Pirates have 4,007 putouts on the year, as well as 1,282 assists and 83 errors. Their fielding percentage is holding steady at .985 which puts them in 20th in baseball, and have 132 double plays.

Wentz has thrown 198 frames and has earned 191 punch outs during his pro baseball career. Wentz (6-17 career mark) holds a FIP of 5.70 and he has faced 904 opposing hitters in the major leagues. His ERA is 5.79 (127 earned runs allowed) and he has a WHIP of 1.559. He has surrendered 218 hits (9.9 hits per nine innings) with 90 free passes.

The St. Louis Cardinals have accumulated an on-base percentage of .309 in addition to a team batting average of .246 on the campaign. They have been called out on strikes on 1,222 occasions (20th in baseball) and have accounted for 1,252 base knocks. St. Louis has compiled 153 HRs for the year as well as 580 RBIs. The Cardinals have a team SLG% of .387 and they average 4.07 runs per game (25th in the league). They have put up 230 doubles, while walking 436 times and earning 611 runs.

The Cardinals hold a team WHIP of 1.260 and have a FIP of 3.98 as a team this year. Their K/BB ratio is 8.20 (1,216 strikeouts vs 430 bases on balls). They sit at 22nd in the league as a staff in total hits allowed with 1,256. They have yielded 162 homers and they surrender 4.53 runs per 9 innings (18th in baseball). The St. Louis pitching staff have allowed 674 runs for the season while holding an ERA of 4.08 (606 earned runs surrendered).

St. Louis has called on bullpen pitchers to step onto the hill in 75 save chances and they have walked away with 50 saves. They are ranked 9th in the league holding a save percentage of 66.7%, and they have dispatched 473 relief pitchers to the mound on the campaign. Their bullpen pitchers have stepped onto the hill 167 times in high leverage situations in addition to 153 occasions with runners on. St. Louis relief pitchers hold an inherited score percentage of 36.0% of 211 inherited base runners. Sitting with 169 save situations, the Cardinals have earned 94 holds and also 25 blown saves.

The St. Louis Cardinals have turned 138 double plays and hold a fielding percentage of .988 (4th in professional baseball). The Cardinals have accrued 1,400 assists, 68 errors and have a tally of 4,014 putouts so far this season. In their 12,042 innings on the field, the Cardinals are sitting with a defensive efficiency of 69.7% (17th in the majors).

Gray (111-94 mark in his career) has a 3.50 earned run average and has given up 7.7 hits per nine innings. His K/BB ratio is 2.94 and he has gone up against 7,173 opposing batters during his pro baseball career. He has given up a total of 673 earned runs while holding a WHIP of 1.192 and having a FIP of 3.4. In his MLB career, Gray has allowed 1,481 base knocks while accumulating 1,716 punch outs in 1,731 frames.

Who will win tonight's MLB game against the spread or moneyline?

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Pittsburgh (+118)

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