Both St. Louis and Pittsburgh are fighting to stay competitive in the playoff race. The Cardinals currently sit 1.5 games back from the National League Central lead while the Pirates fight them for a spot in the wild card race. Now both teams will put two of their top pitchers on the mound in hopes of getting a crucial division win with the postseason quickly approaching.
Adam Wainwright was an ace for the Cardinals in the first half of the season, but since the All-Star break, the pitcher has not been the same. He has the chance to win 16 games this season and be the first pitcher to do so. He is 15-8 this year with a 2.52 ERA but has been inconsistent in his last eight starts, going 3-4 with a 4.70 ERA. He is averaging 3.48 walks per nine innings after giving up just 1.76 in the first half of the season.
Wainwright has pitched well against the Pittsburgh Pirates. He is 4-1 with a 0.80 ERA in his last six starts. Andrew McCutchen has gone 14 for 45 with seven extra-base hits against the pitcher in that stretch. However, McCutchen is not expected to play on Wednesday after he exited Tuesday's game with discomfort in his ribs. He just came off the disabled list for a similar injury.
The Pirates are looking to keep momentum up after they got the 5-2 win on Tuesday. Ike David hit a three-run homer to break the tie and get the win. They not sit just 3 ½ games from the top spot in the wild car spot currently owned by St. Louis. Jeff Locke will get the start after being unbeaten in his last four starts. He is currently 5-3 with a 3.69 ERA this season. He gave up just two runs in Friday's win over the Milwaukee Brewers. However, he did not record a strikeout in that game. He is 1-1 with a 3.38 ERA in his last three starts against St. Louis.
