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Pittsburgh Pirates Vs. St. Louis Cardinals Lineups, Odds, And Weather

By Larry Snyder

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The Pittsburgh Pirates (13-15) open a three-game weekend series tonight with the leaders of the National League Central Division, the St. Louis Cardinals (21-7) at PNC Park.

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The Bucs put a five-game losing streak to rest as they enjoyed a 7-2 victory at home Thursday over the Cincinnati Reds. A.J. Burnett did his part, going seven solid innings on the mound. The 38-year-old righthander tied Dennis Eckersley with 2,401 career strikeouts for No. 40 on the all-time list.

Andrew McCutchen broke out of his slump by going 3-for-4 with an RBI for the Pirates. Gregory Polanco and Neil Walker joined McCutchen in scoring twice against the Reds. Starling Marte and Chris Stewart contributed two RBIs apiece.

Last weekend, all three games in the Gateway City went to extra-innings as the Cards completed a sweep of the Bucs. Pittsburgh is 0-4 in extra-inning contests this season.

The Cardinals have opened the season with a remarkable 14-3 record at home and a respectable 7-4 mark on the road. They are coming off a 5-1 victory at home Thursday over the Chicago Cubs. Starting with tonight’s match-up, St. Louis plays 13 of their next 16 contests on the road.

When: Friday, May 8

First Pitch: 7:05 p.m. ET

Site: PNC Park

Playing Surface: Natural Grass

Television Coverage: ROOT Sports Network

Radio Coverage: KDKA-FM 93.7 – The Fan

Announcers: Greg Brown, Tim Neverett, Bob Walk, Steve Blass and John Wehner

Live (Pay) Streaming: MLB.TV

Sirius XM Satellite Radio: XM Channel 89, XM Internet 861

Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates /

Pittsburgh Pirates

Odds: Pirates -1.5 According To Bovada Online Sportsbook this afternoon and the Over/Under is at seven.

Weather Forecast: According to the Weather Channel, the forecast is for mostly clear skies this evening with a wind out of the south/southeast at five mph. The low tonight is 62. Chance of rain is 0%.

Starting Pitchers: Mike Matheny and the Cardinals will go with 23-year-old Michael Wacha (4-0, 1.93 ERA). The 6-foot-6, 210-pound righthander is making his sixth start of the season. He held the Pirates scoreless over six 2/3 innings last Sunday for a no-decision. The Cards won the game 3-2 in 14 innings.

Pittsburgh will send 31-year-old Francisco Liriano (1-1, 1.95 ERA) to the hill. The 6-foot-2, 225-pound lefthander has allowed only one run in his last two assignments. In nine career starts against St. Louis during the regular season, the Dominican Republic native has been charged with two earned runs or less seven times.

Your Starting Lineups:

Pirates

1) – Gregory Polanco, RF

2) – Neil Walker, 2B

3) – Andrew McCutchen, CF

4) – Starling Marte, LF

5) – Pedro Alvarez, 1B

6) – Josh Harrison 3B

7) – Francisco Cervelli, C

8) – Jordy Mercer, SS

9) – Francisco Liriano, LHP

Cardinals:

1) – Peter Bourjos, CF

2) – Kolten Wong, 2B

3) – Matt Holliday, LF

4) – Jhonny Peralta, SS

5) – Mark Reynolds, 1B

6) – Jason Heyward, RF

7) – Yadler Molina, C

8) – Pete Kozma, 3B

9) – Michael Wacha, RHP

Up Next: Pittsburgh and St. Louis meet Saturday in the middle contest of their three-game set at PNC Park. The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

It will be a battle of lefthanders as the Cards will send Tyler Lyons (0-0) to the mound and the Bucs will go with Jeff Locke (2-2). The game will be broadcast on ROOT Sports Pittsburgh.

From The Clipboard: Pittsburgh has six come-from-behind victories this season…They have one win in their final at-bat…With 54 career saves in a Pirates uniform, Mark Melancon is ninth on the all-time list, two behind Bill Landrum with 56…When a Bucs starting pitcher goes less than six innings, the team is 3-5.

Next: Just A Minute: In a pitching era, offense even more valuable

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