Pittsburgh Pirates vs St. Louis Cardinals
Official starting lineups are published a few hours before first pitch. They will appear here and on the lineup page as soon as they are posted.
Pittsburgh Pirates at St. Louis Cardinals (2026-08-30). Braxton Ashcraft vs Matthew Liberatore at Busch Stadium.
Braxton Ashcraft holds a 3.59 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP across 155.1 innings of work, compiling a 13-5 record. He showcases strong peripheral numbers with 9.33 K/9 against 1.97 BB/9 along with 1.22 HR9. Across his last three outings, he produced lines of 6 IP, 1 ER, 2 K, 1 BB; 8 IP, 1 ER, 4 K, 0 BB; and 9 IP, 1 ER, 10 K, 1 BB, showing a downward trend in earned runs allowed. Matthew Liberatore carries a 5.44 ERA and has allowed elevated run prevention metrics alongside a 5-12 record over 129 innings. His previous three appearances resulted in 4 IP, 8 ER, 7 K, 1 BB; 6 IP, 3 ER, 9 K, 0 BB; and 5.1 IP, 2 ER, 6 K, 1 BB, showing an upward trend in earned runs. The left-hander registers a 1.47 WHIP, 9.21 K/9, 3.14 BB/9, and 1.6 HR9 this season.
The Pirates offense has produced 664 runs with a .732 OPS and a .252 batting average, going 5-5 in their last 10 games. Pittsburgh's pitching staff maintains a 4.19 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP. St. Louis enters with 606 runs scored, a .696 OPS, and a .240 batting average while posting a 3-7 mark over their past 10 contests. On the mound, the Cardinals staff has generated a 4.23 ERA alongside a 1.34 WHIP.
