Listen to Game 4 of the Pittsburgh Pirates vs. St. Louis Cardinals as this NLDS series might see its last game. Check out ESPN Radio's free stream online as the Bucs attempt to close things out at home in front of their home crowd. First pitch is at 3 p.m. ET.
Mike Matheny will have another young arm on the mound on Monday. Michael Wacha, who was not even a true starter in 2013, will get the ball with the Cardinals' season on the line. Momentum is clearly on the Pirates' side, so why would Matheny have a guy who only made nine starts in the season?
The answer to that question is simple; 1-0, 9 IP, 2H, 0R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 SO
That's Wacha's line against the Pirates in two appearances. He first saw them back in Aug. 14, pitching the seventh and eighth innings in a Cardinals' loss. He struck out four Pirates in his two innings worked. Then in September, he started against the Pirates, going seven innings, allowing only two hits and walking only two batters.
Wacha finished 2013 with a 4-1 record and 2.78 ERA. However, things could be different on the road for the 22-year-old righty. At home, his ERA is 2.15, on the road, though he is 2-0, his ERA is 4.34 in three starts this season. He is a strikeout machine, but the Pirates have been swinging hot bats in the last two games, totaling 18 hits in the last two games, which they have one.
The Pirates will trust a veteran, Charlie Morton, to make the start in Game 4. However, like the rookie Wacha, Morton will also make his first start in the postseason.
Morton went 7-4, his first career winning season in the majors, with a 3.26 ERA in 20 starts this season. He will not blow Cardinals hitters away as the lefty struck out 85 in 116 innings pitched. However, when pitching at home, Morton has had better numbers. He went 2-2 in nine starts at PNC Park with a 2.85 ERA.
The bad news for the Pirates and their fans is that Morton is 0-2 in three starts against St. Louis. He has surrendered 12 earned runs in 13.2 innings pitched for a whopping 7.90 ERA.
Both managers are rolling the dice in Game 4. They are trusting first-time starters in the playoffs and guys who have had poor success in certain situations. Wacha stinks on the road and Morton cannot stop the Cardinals' bats.
Who will walk out victorious from PNC Park? Click here to listen to the live radio stream of the Cardinals vs. Pirates.