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Today · 6:40 PM ETLineup pendingNL Central

St. Louis Cardinals   vs   Pittsburgh Pirates Preview

September 23, 2026

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

6:40 PM ET · PNC ParkStats availableLineups not confirmed
T-Score43
St. Louis Cardinals
76–80 · 4th NL Central · T-Score 43
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First pitch 6:40 PM ET
Pittsburgh Pirates
79–77 · 3rd NL Central · T-Score 53
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T-Score53
First pitch 6:40 PM ET

Matchup at a glance

PitcherStat calculation
CategoryComparisonWhy
Starting pitcherPendingOne starter is still TBD, so the pitching comparison stays pending.
Team strengthPiratesPittsburgh leads 53–43 in T-Score.
WeatherModerate impactA 7 mph wind could modestly increase carry on fly balls.

Starting pitchers

STL
Matthew Liberatore LHP
Matthew Liberatore
St. Louis Cardinals
2026 season (MLB rank among qualified starters)
ERA
5.36
176th
WHIP
1.49
184th
K/9
8.92
72nd
BB/9
3.31
122nd
P-Score46i
FIP
4.71
HR/9
1.63
185th
OPS/R
0.822
IP
149.1
2026 ERA splits
Home ERA5.77
Road ERA5.27
Last 5 starts
PIT
TBD TBD
Starter not announced
Advanced starter metricsERA−, FIP, WAR, career vs opponent
MetricLiberatoreStarterNote
ERA−134–Park- and league-adjusted; 100 is average.
FIP4.71–
WAR0.9–Season value.

How the lineups match the starters' pitch mix

Pitch data coverage: partial. Usage and velocity only.

Liberatore arsenal
PitchUsageVelo
Four-seam30%94.3
Slider27%86.1
Curveball18%79.6
Changeup13%88.6
Sinker8%94.3
Cutter4%90.5
Sweeper0%85.2
Splitter0%87.0

Offense vs pitcher hand

Pirates vs LHPMatthew Liberatore throws left-handed
.699
OPS vs hand
19th

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
+26312th
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?+
Matthew Liberatore is listed as the starter.
Who is starting for the Pirates?+
Pittsburgh Pirates has not announced a starter for this game.
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?+
P-Score is available for one starter only.