MLB Baseball BETTING PREVIEW - Pittsburgh Pirates @ St Louis Cardinals

MLB Baseball

2026-05-20 - Pittsburgh Pirates at St Louis Cardinals

A Sports Betting Preview by FirstDown

Pittsburgh Pirates @ St Louis Cardinals
United States : Major League Baseball
Wednesday 20th May 2026 - Scheduled 7:45pm EST
00:45am (British Time)

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Preview

After a successful couple of nights backing the American League East Division leaders to win, the attention on Wednesday moves to the National League.

Pre-season expectations were not very high for either of these teams, but the National League Central is currently the most competitive Division in the Major Leagues. None of the five teams have a losing record and there is only a 5 game gap between the leaders and the team currently in the basement, the Pittsburgh Pirates (24-24).

Four losses in a row have dropped the Pirates to the bottom of the Divisional standings, including losing the opening game of this series, but they will not have lost complete confidence having laid a solid foundation early in the season.

The Pirates are hoping to snap a five game losing run in 2026 against the St Louis Cardinals (28-19) having been swept in a four game series at home in April before losing on Tuesday night. The win for the home team means the Cardinals have won four of the last five games and they are sending a confident third year performer to the mound on Wednesday.

Michael McGreevy has a 3-2 record and 2.10 ERA in nine starts in 2026 and he is trending towards improving the numbers from his sophomore season when making sixteen starts for the Cardinals. Last year he finished with an 8-4 record and 4.42 ERA, but McGreevy has already thrown more than 50% of the total Innings produced in 2025 and it is clear there is faith in this young pitcher.

He was given a decision loss at the end of April, but that has not knocked Michal McGreevy who has responded with a 2-0 record from the last four starts and put together a 0.75 ERA. He has completed 6 Innings in each of those four starts, while McGreevy has allowed just three runs in four home starts in 2026.

The last time he faced the Pittsburgh Pirates, Michael McGreevy was knocked around for four runs in 6 Innings thrown, but that outing was also several months ago in August of 2025.

Pittsburgh will counter with a young pitcher of their own as Carmen Mlodzinski is given the ball in what is his fourth year in the Major Leagues. In previous years he has largely operated as a reliever, but Mlodzinski has a 3-3 record and 4.40 ERA from nine appearances in 2026 of which seven have been starts.

Performing as a starter and a reliever brings very different pressures and Carmen Mlodzinski had been on a run of four starts where he produced a 1-3 record and 7.32 ERA. Last time out he was back in a position of a long reliever and picked up a decision win, but the Pirates may need more from him as he is restored to the rotation.

Last season, Carmen Mlodzinski had three starts against the St Louis Cardinals and allowed four runs in a little shy of 13 Innings thrown across those. The two starts in this ballpark ended with the pitcher allowing three runs in just under 8 Innings thrown, but it feels like an inconsistent Pittsburgh batting lineup needs to help him out in this game.

Prediction

The St Louis Cardinals have gotten the better of the Pittsburgh Pirates early in 2026 and there is a bit more momentum with the host team.

Both starting pitchers have shown flashes, but the consistency has been with Michael McGreevy and that may help his Cardinals take this second game after the win on Tuesday night.

The Pick :

St Louis Cardinals 5-3 Pittsburgh Pirates

FIXED ODDS BETTING :

I'll back St Louis Cardinals to Win at -117 with EveryGame Sports