INDEPENDENT MLB ANALYTICSINDEPENDENT ANALYTICS
ETLATYOBERLON
Today · 6:40 PM ETLineup pendingNL Central

St. Louis Cardinals   vs   Pittsburgh Pirates Preview

September 22, 2026

Starting pitchers, lineup status, recent form and weather at PNC Park.

6:40 PM ET · PNC ParkStats availableLineups not confirmed
T-Score41
St. Louis Cardinals
76–80 · 4th NL Central · T-Score 41
–
–––
First pitch 6:40 PM ET
Pittsburgh Pirates
79–77 · 3rd NL Central · T-Score 52
–
T-Score52
First pitch 6:40 PM ET

Matchup at a glance

PitcherStat calculation
CategoryComparisonWhy
Starting pitcherEvenBoth starters enter with comparable season profiles; neither holds a meaningful statistical advantage.
Offense vs handPiratesPittsburgh has produced the stronger offense against right-handed pitching.
Team strengthPiratesPittsburgh leads 52–41 in T-Score, driven by stronger offense.
WeatherModerate impactA 8 mph wind could modestly increase carry on fly balls.

Starting pitchers

STL
Andre Pallante RHP
Andre Pallante
St. Louis Cardinals
2026 season (MLB rank among qualified starters)
ERA
3.70
72nd
WHIP
1.26
92nd
K/9
6.20
197th
BB/9
2.80
72nd
P-Score57i
FIP
3.72
HR/9
0.66
16th
OPS/R
0.639
IP
151.0
2026 ERA splits
Home ERA4.41
Road ERA2.76
Last 5 starts
PIT
Jared Jones RHP
Jared Jones
Pittsburgh Pirates
2026 season (MLB rank among qualified starters)
ERA
4.17
112th
WHIP
1.19
62nd
K/9
10.82
15th
BB/9
3.08
104th
P-Score58i
FIP
3.71
HR/9
1.19
106th
OPS/R
0.632
IP
90.2
2026 ERA splits
Home ERA4.60
Road ERA3.54
Last 5 starts
How the starters differ
·Jones strikes out 4.6 more batters per nine innings.
·Pallante allows the lower home-run rate: 0.66 vs 1.19 per nine.
·Pallante enters with a 2.76 road ERA; Jones owns a 4.60 ERA at home.
Advanced starter metricsERA−, FIP, WAR, career vs opponent
MetricPallanteJonesNote
ERA−9094Park- and league-adjusted; 100 is average.
FIP3.723.71
WAR2.61.8Season value.

How the lineups match the starters' pitch mix

Pitch data coverage: partial. Usage and velocity only.

Pallante arsenal
PitchUsageVelo
Four-seam34%95.2
Slider29%87.7
Knuckle Curve17%78.6
Sinker17%95.4
Splitter3%88.8
Jones arsenal
PitchUsageVelo
Four-seam46%98.3
Slider35%89.7
Changeup11%92.9
Curveball7%85.7

Team OPS vs opposing starter's hand

Cardinals vs RHP (Jared Jones)
27th
in MLB
0.691OPS
.600.700.800.9001.000
Pirates vs RHP (Andre Pallante)
4th
in MLB
0.755OPS
.600.700.800.9001.000

Lineups

Lineup pendingOrder from the stored snapshot; treat as unofficial until the card is filed.Full lineup page
Lineups not announced

Neither club has posted a batting order. Handedness composition, H-Score leaders and batter-vs-pitcher samples appear here as soon as the first order is filed — typically two to three hours before first pitch.

Team comparison

ResultsSTLSTL·PITPIT
+20919th
Run differential
+26212th
76–80 Record79–77
Last 10 games
St. Louis Cardinals (0–0)
Pittsburgh Pirates (0–0)
2026 head-to-head
Season Series
0—0
0 Games Played

Frequently asked

Who is starting for the Cardinals?+
Andre Pallante is listed as the starter.
Who is starting for the Pirates?+
Jared Jones is listed as the starter.
What time does the game start?+
6:40 PM ET at PNC Park.
Where is the game being played?+
PNC Park, home of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Are the lineups confirmed?+
Not yet. Orders appear here when they are posted.
How do the starters compare on P-Score?+
Andre Pallante is at 57; Jared Jones is at 58. P-Score is PitcherStat's 0–100 season index for qualified starters.