If I were a weatherman I'd say we're in for a mild thunderstorm as the Cardinals take flight to PNC Park, where the pitchers find the Park Factor as comforting as a thorn in the posterior of their favorite leather recliner. The Cardinals of St. Louis are reliant on thrower Andre Pallante while the Pirates of Pittsburgh have bet their doubloons on Martin Perez. Now, anyone with two eyes can see that these moundsmen don't exactly have Cy Young shaking in his grave this season. But hey, who knows? Maybe they'll surprise us with a good ole fashioned pitcher's duel.
Not one for subtlety, the Cardinals line up flaunts talents like Mr. Brendan Donovan and Mr. Alec Burleson. Donovan has been spreading his wings swifter than a carrier pigeon, racking up a .308 batting average. Burleson, on the other hand, may not be as accurate but what he lacks in precision, he compensates with power - belting 8 round trippers and notching 23 RBIs.
Then we have the Pirates, shiver me timbers. Their crew includes Bryan Reynolds who's been launching the ball like a cannon, boasting a .327 batting average and 5 home run count. Let's not forget Rowdy Tellez who's been more accurate than a compass at sea, with a .375 batting average.
Now, the almighty regular season record tilts slightly in favor of the Cardinals though there's barely sunlight between the two. Recent results, kind of resemble the last family reunion - no one's setting the world on fire. Let's just say they both had their fair share of victories and skinned knees.
Let's also remember these teams recent encounters. Pirates took the last game at 5-4, but Cardinals took two out of three prior matches. This tick-tock of victories has me almost as dizzy as my college tequila days.
After considering all important life choices and the price of tea in China, I'm gonna pull my prediction out of the hat. Given that the Cardinals are the favorites and they do have a touch better performance and lineup, I'd give the edge to the Redbirds.
Albert’s Prediction: St. Louis Cardinals by 2