Pirates vs Cardinals Prediction - MLB Picks 9/1/23

St. Louis Cardinals (58-76) vs Pittsburgh Pirates (61-73)

Game Info: Friday, September 1, 2023 at 8:15 pm (Busch Stadium)

Dakota Hudson (5-1) (4.41) vs Mitch Keller (11-8) (4.01)

Betting Odds: St. Louis Cardinals -120 / Pittsburgh Pirates +102 --- Over/Under: 8 Click Here for the Latest Odds

The St. Louis Cardinals will host the Pittsburgh Pirates for game one of their divisional series this Friday from Busch Stadium.

Pirates Preview & Projected Starter

Pittsburgh comes in at 61-73 after sweeping Kansas City. The Pirates flexed in KC this week with three road wins and covers, and they’ll look to wrap their stay in Missouri up on strong note this weekend in STL. The Pittsburgh offense is scoring 4.11 runs per game, while batting .235, with a .320 on-base percentage. The pitching staff carries a 4.50 ERA, with a 1.38 WHIP.

Mitch Keller (11-8, 4.01 ERA, 179 Ks) will pitch for Pittsburgh. The fifth-year pitcher delivered a gem against Chicago last time out, tossing eight shutout innings to earn his eleventh victory. This late-season resurgence from Keller was nice to see, as he jumped off to a great start before cooling off a bit in July. The first-time All-Star has held clubs to two runs or less in four of his last six outings, and he delivered a quality start in his first visit to St. Louis back in April.

Pirates Player Trends & Props

• Bryan Reynolds has totaled multiple bases in seven of the previous ten games, and he’s first on the team in hits (125), with splits of .265/19/65.

• Ke’Bryan Hayes has produced a run in four straight games, and he’s batting .268, with 52 RBI for the season.

• Andrew McCutchen plated a run in the game one victory, and he’s posting a line of .247/12/40.

• Jack Suwinski snapped a long homeless streak by going yard in the game three win, and he leads the club in home runs (22), with 56 RBI.

Cardinals Preview & Projected Starter

St. Louis moved to 58-76 after taking two of three from San Diego. The Cardinals were able to win just their third series of the month after closing the series strong against the Pads, and they’ll now attempt to have a good weekend here in division play. The St. Louis offense is scoring 3.97 runs per game, while batting .258, with a .328 on-base percentage. The pitching staff carries a 4.64 ERA, with a 1.49 WHIP.

Dakota Hudson (5-1, 4.41 ERA, 33 Ks) will get the start for St. Louis. The sixth-year pitcher hit a wall in Philadelphia last week, allowing five runs thru 5.2 innings pitched to take his first loss of the season. There’s no shame in having your four-game win streak snapped in Philly, as they possess a stack group of bats, and this home spot will give Hudson an opportunity to bounce back against the state of PA. The Chattanooga native held clubs to three runs or less in ten of his eleven outings prior to facing the Phillies, and he’ll look to regroup here against the Pirates.

Cardinals Player Trends & Props

• Nolan Arenado snapped a four-game hitless streak in the series finale, and he’s St. Louis’ leader in home runs (26) and RBI (87).

• Paul Goldschmidt has recorded a hit in seven of the last ten games, and he leads the Cards in hits (141), with splits of .278/22/69.

• Wilson Contreras homered twice in the game two victory over SD, and he’s posting a line of .253/15/54.

• Nolan Gorman produced a run in Wednesday’s win, and he’s second on the team in homers (24), with 68 RBI.

Corey’s Free Pick

Pittsburgh comes into a profitable position here in game one, and as much as I’d like to back another strong outing from Mitch Keller, this feels like it could be a bounce back spot for Dakota Hudson at home. The sixth-year Cardinal has been their best arm this season, and after having his win streak snapped in Philly, he’ll be look to get back on track here on Friday. The Under may very well be in play, with both arms in strong form as of late, but let’s back the hosting Cards for game one of this NL Central series.