The Pirates (36-50) extended their winning streak to four following Monday’s 7-0 blowout of the Cardinals (47-39). Pittsburgh’s offense has exploded on this home stand, scoring seven or more runs in each victory.
Pittsburgh and St. Louis continue their three-game series at PNC Park at 6:40 p.m. ET, as Paul Skenes takes the mound for the Pirates vs. Andre Pallante for the Cardinals. Skenes was roughed up in his last start at Milwaukee, allowing four runs in four innings of a 4-2 defeat.
We’ll break down today’s MLB matchup between the Cardinals and Pirates and give you the best Cardinals vs. Pirates picks and predictions, including a discount on Skenes' strikeout projections and hitter projections to target today.
Be sure to head to the PrizePicks MLB board to lock in your picks and submit your lineup to get in on the real money MLB action before the first pitch. Get started on PrizePicks today to get a $50 bonus after your first $5 Lineup.
Cardinals vs. Pirates Picks – Tuesday, July 1
Here are the top Cardinals vs. Pirates picks and predictions for tonight’s on PrizePicks. Click to read more about each pick.
- Pirates P Paul Skenes – 4.5 Strikeouts (Taco Tuesday)
- Cardinals 2B Nolan Gorman – 0.5 Total Bases
- Pirates SS Isiah Kiner-Falefa – 1.5 Hits+Runs+RBIs
Pirates P Paul Skenes – 4.5 Strikeouts (Taco Tuesday)
- Pirates P Paul Skenes' strikeout projection is discounted from 6 to 4.5 as part of Taco Tuesday discounts — but only until 3:30 p.m. ET.
- Skenes recorded his second-fewest strikeouts of the season in his last start at Milwaukee with four.
- In two starts against the Cardinals, Skenes has produced six and seven strikeout performances. In three outings of his rookie campaign, Skenes compiled seven or more K’s each time against St. Louis.
- Four Cardinals have struck out at least three times against Skenes, including C Willson Contreras, who is 0-of-7 with four punch outs.
- Skenes’ strikeout rate has actually dropped from his rookie season. In 2024, the former LSU star owned a K rate of 33.1%, compared to a 26.9% rate this season.
Cardinals 2B Nolan Gorman – 0.5 Total Bases
- Cardinals 2B Nolan Gorman has the highest strikeout rate among St. Louis regular starters at 28.8%.
- Skenes has struck out Gorman twice in six at-bats, while the St. Louis infielder has struck out at least once in 11 of the past 12 games.
- Gorman is batting .182 on the road this season, compared to .263 at Busch Stadium.
- He put together a solid June, hitting six home runs and posting 16 RBIs. Gorman compiled 17 total hits from March through May, but tallied 20 hits this past month.
- Four times in June, Gorman posted consecutive hitless games. Gorman is coming off an 0-of-3 effort in Monday’s 7-0 loss.
Pirates SS Isiah Kiner-Falefa – 1.5 Hits+Runs+RBIs
- Pirates SS Isiah Kiner-Falefa has picked up at least one hit in five of the last six games.
- In Monday’s shutout of St. Louis, Kiner-Falefa grabbed a hit and scored a run, marking three straight games eclipsing the hits, runs, and RBIs projection.
- Kiner-Falefa is 2-of-4 lifetime against Cardinals P Andre Pallante, including a double.
- Among Pittsburgh regulars, Kiner-Falefa owns the lowest strikeout rate at 16%.
- Kiner-Falefa is batting .331 on fastballs, while Pallante has allowed batters to connect on a .271 clip on four-seamers.
Make MLB Picks Today on PrizePicks
The Pirates look to stay hot on their homestand, while the Cardinals try to bounce back following Monday’s ugly loss in Pittsburgh.
This game between the Cardinals and Pirates also gives us plenty of player picks to consider on PrizePicks.
There is a wide variety of player stat projections available, so you can build your Lineup however you’d like to win real money — with no salary or positional restrictions. Just pick at least two player stat projections to build your Lineup on PrizePicks.
Check out the Playbook throughout the remainder of the MLB season for more analysis for your PrizePicks and MLB DFS Lineups.
