The Pirates have lost 4 in a row, have been swept by these same Cardinals already this season, and now get to deal with Michael McGreevy at Busch. It is one of those preview paragraphs that almost writes itself — Pittsburgh is 24-24, St. Louis is 28-19, and the trend lines are pointing in opposite directions.
McGreevy has quietly turned into the Cardinals' best starter. In May alone, St. Louis has won his outings against the Dodgers, Padres and A's while he gave up a combined 1 run over 18 innings, including a career-high 9-strikeout, 1-hit gem against San Diego on May 8. His 0.88 WHIP is 4th-best among qualified starters. There is no soft landing here for a Pirates lineup that has been scuffling.
Carmen Mlodzinski's line isn't terrible — 3-3, 4.40 — but his usage tells the real story. The Pirates pulled him from the rotation in the Rockies series on May 14 and used him in a 5-inning bulk role behind an opener. He was good in that spot (2 runs in a 7-2 win), and now he gets bumped back into a traditional start against the team currently leading the season series 4-0.
The market reflects all of it. Pinnacle has the Cardinals at -113, and the public on DK is on St. Louis too — 70% of the moneyline handle and 76% of the spread handle are backing the home side. The total is the one number worth squinting at: Pinnacle sits at 7.5, DK is at 8.0, with the over getting 64% of bets despite McGreevy's run.
The injury column is also doing the Pirates no favors. Ryan O'Hearn is shelved roughly 4 weeks with a moderate quad strain, Joey Bart is banged up, and the rotation is missing Jared Jones (still rehabbing) plus Mike Clevinger for around 6 weeks with an MCL sprain. The Cardinals are dinged up too — Masyn Winn was out of Tuesday's lineup with a knee — but their walking wounded list isn't carving up the rotation the way Pittsburgh's is.
- Day-To-DayAnthony Solometo SP — Solometo is sidelined at Double-A Altoona with recurring left shoulder discomfort, Jose Negron of DK Pittsburgh Sports reports.
- Day-To-DayOddanier Mosqueda RP — Mosqueda will not throw for a couple weeks due to left forearm inflammation, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.
- Day-To-DayMike Clevinger RP — Clevinger is expected to be sidelined for around six weeks after being diagnosed with an MCL sprain in his right knee, Jason Mackey of MLB.com reports.
- Day-To-DaySean Sullivan SP — Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said Wednesday that Sullivan is battling right elbow soreness, Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
- 10-Day-ILRyan O'Hearn RF — Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said Sunday that O'Hearn's right quadriceps strain is considered "moderate" and will likely keep him on the injured list for around four weeks, Danny Demilio of PittsburghBaseballNow.com reports.
- 10-Day-ILJoey Bart C — Manager Don Kelly said Bart, who is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Rockies, is "banged up," Chris Halicke of DK Pittsburgh Sports reports.
- 15-Day-ILChris Devenski RP — The Pirates placed Devenski on the 15-day injured list Thursday due to an illness.
- 60-Day-ILJared Jones SP — Jones (elbow) threw four scoreless innings, allowing three hits and no walks while striking out four in a rehab appearance with Double-A Altoona on Tuesday, per MLB.com.
- Day-To-DayMasyn Winn SS — Winn (knee) is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Pirates, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.
- Day-To-DayPacky Naughton RP — Naughton will undergo surgery next month to repair the damaged UCL in his left elbow, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
- Day-To-DaySem Robberse SP — Robberse (elbow) signed a minor-league contract with the Cardinals on Monday, which includes an invitation to spring training, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
- Day-To-DayVictor Santos RP — The Red Sox traded Santos (undisclosed) and Nick Robertson to the Cardinals on Friday in exchange for Tyler O'Neill (foot), Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reports.
- Day-To-DayIxan Henderson SP — Henderson (elbow) is starting the season on the 60-day injured list at Triple-A Memphis.
- Day-To-DayZack Thompson RP — The Cardinals reassigned Thompson (shoulder) to minor-league camp Monday.
- 10-Day-ILRamon Urias 3B — Urias was scheduled to get his injured right elbow re-evaluated by a doctor Friday, Daniel Guerrero of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
- 60-Day-ILLars Nootbaar LF — Nootbaar (heels) will begin a rehab assignment with Single-A Palm Beach on Friday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Bottom line: Pirates need to find some offense or McGreevy is going to make this one quick. Pittsburgh has the better ace, but Skenes isn't on the mound tonight, and the Mlodzinski-vs-McGreevy gap on paper is the entire story of the line.