The Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals meet once again, this time in the 2013 NLDS. This is the postseason, though these two organizations have been playing pressure games all year long. Check out TV schedule info as the Pirates and Cardinals' Game 1 takes off today. Here is the game time, TV channel airing the game and predictions for this playoff meeting.
Game Time: 5 p.m. ET
TV Channel- Where to Watch?: TBS
Predictions: Cardinals Favorite <-- Click to read why.
If you are at work and there's a television, you might as well stick around and watch at least the first three innings of this ball game. Who knows what will happen? The Pirates and Cardinals have been extremely unpredictable in 2013.
The Pirates have lost their last four games to the Cardinals after winning three of four. At the end of July, they won four straight games in PNC Park, sweeping a double-header, but eventually dropping the final game that would have completed a five-game sweep.
This has been the pattern in the Cardinals vs. Pirates season series, which the Bucs own 10-9.
They first met twice in mid-April, splitting two games of what should have been a three-game series, though the second game was postponed. At the end of April, the Pirates won a three-game series, winning the final two games. The Pirates won four of five in July, but the Cardinals bounced back to win the following series. The Pirates won the following series and then lost control of the N.L. Central as they were swept.
Notice a pattern? They have exchanged series victories. So wait, does this mean the Pirates will win this postseason series? We will have to find out.
Their pitching is a bit shaky, but the Pirates have a pretty deep lineup after midseason acquisitions Marlon Byrd and Justin Morneau. Andrew McCutchen is being considered the N.L. MVP. He stole 27 bases, drove in 84 RBI, while smacking 21 home runs and hitting .317. He continued this in the first game of the postseason, going 2-3 with a run scored, getting on base a total of four times against the Reds.
The Cardinals will bring their tough lineup into this series. They have been doing it quietly with great veterans led by Carlos Beltran, Matt Holliday and Yadier Molina. Beltran is seeking his first ring, Holliday is searching after his second and Molina is trying to capture his third.
