The Cardinals enter their final road trip with the season already out of reach, but there’s still something on the line in Pittsburgh. St. Louis heads to PNC Park for the first stop of a three-game set against the Pirates, and while the standings no longer offer a playoff path, this series still carries real weight for both teams.
St. Louis is 76-80 and sitting fourth in the National League Central, while Pittsburgh comes in at 79-77 in third place.
The Pirates have been a problem for the Cardinals at Busch Stadium this season, but St. Louis still holds the edge in the season series, 6-4.
That matters here, especially with the Cardinals having already swept a four-game series at PNC Park back in April.
Now they get a shot at doing it again. A sweep this week would let the Cardinals catch the Pirates in the division standings, take the season series outright, and move one game closer to matching last year’s 78-84 finish.
If St. Louis can get there, it would head to Milwaukee with a little more juice for the final weekend, where it would try to spoil things for the NL Central champs as they chase Major League Baseball’s best record.
Thursday’s game also sets up what will be Kyle Leahy’s final start of the season. The Cardinals have leaned on him as one of their steadier starters, and he has looked like a pitcher who can settle into a mid-rotation role for a long time. But the innings limit has caught up to him, and with the rotation lined up the way it is, this will be his last outing of the year.
It’s the end of Leahy’s first full season as a starter, and he’ll get to rest in Milwaukee while the Cardinals wrap things up. Before that, he has one more chance to leave a strong final impression and carry some momentum into the offseason. He has all but locked up a spot in the Cardinals’ rotation for 2027, but this final start will still be worth watching to see how he finishes.
In Other News...
Cardinals Just Lost A Bullpen Option At A Telling Time
The Cardinals bullpen depth took a small hit at a particularly awkward time when veteran reliever Peter Strzelecki was designated for assignment after being activated from the injured list. St. Louis had brought him back into the mix, but the move quickly turned into a roster squeeze, and Strzelecki ended up clearing waivers and being outrighted to Triple-A Memphis.
Peter Strzelecki chose not to head to Memphis, electing free agency instead as the postseason draws closer. For a team still sorting out every last bullpen option, losing an experienced arm at this stage leaves one fewer piece available if the Cardinals need to navigate a late-season stretch or patch together innings in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals 2027 Core Is Emerging With One Big Roster Question Left
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Bernal has impressed in limited major league action with both his defense and his bat, while Church has been a steady presence throughout the 2026 season. Even with those pieces coming into focus, the roster still has some unfinished business, especially at third base and in the bullpen, where the Cardinals know they need more help before the picture is complete. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Rebuild Suddenly Looks Smarter After That Deadline Deal
At the trade deadline, the Cardinals made one of those moves that looked more like a long-term reset than a quick fix, shipping right-hander Dustin May to Milwaukee in a deal that brought back outfield prospects Alexander Frias and Josiah Ragsdale, along with JoJo Romero. For a St. Louis club in rebuild mode, the return was about adding depth to the system and betting on younger talent that could matter down the line.
Since then, the deal has only seemed to age better for St. Louis. May has not been as effective with the Brewers as many expected, while the Cardinals have been able to point to the prospect haul as another reason their farm system looks stronger. It is the kind of deadline trade that does not always pay off immediately, but for a rebuilding club, the early signs suggest the Cardinals may have come out ahead. [Read more 🡒]