The Pittsburgh Pirates make the trip to St. Louis for a 2:15 PM ET afternoon game at Busch Stadium on Saturday, August 29, sending Lake Bachar to the mound against Cardinals right-hander Kyle Leahy. It's a divisional clash that carries real NL Central weight, and with Bryan Reynolds anchoring a lineup that also features Oneil Cruz and Nick Gonzales, the Buccos have enough pop to make life difficult for St. Louis. How Bachar handles the Cardinals' top of the order will go a long way toward deciding this one.

Pittsburgh Pirates at St. Louis Cardinals: August 29, 2026 Game Preview

Pitching Matchup: Bachar vs. Leahy

Lake Bachar gets the ball for Pittsburgh. The right-hander will be tested early by a Cardinals lineup that is constructed to put pressure on opposing starters. St. Louis counters with Kyle Leahy, who draws the assignment at home. Neither pitcher has verified season stats available heading into this start, which makes this matchup one worth watching closely from the first pitch — execution and game feel will matter more than any scouting-sheet edge.

Pittsburgh Pirates Starting Lineup

• Spencer Horwitz, 1B
• Brandon Lowe, 2B
• Bryan Reynolds, LF
• Nick Gonzales, DH
• Oneil Cruz, CF
• Jake Mangum, RF
• Rafael Flores Jr., C
• Jacob Gonzalez, SS
• Jared Triolo, 3B

St. Louis Cardinals Starting Lineup

• JJ Wetherholt, SS
• Iván Herrera, DH
• Alec Burleson, 1B
• Jordan Walker, RF
• Nathan Church, CF
• José Fermín, 2B
• Nolan Gorman, 3B
• Joshua Báez, LF
• Jimmy Crooks, C

Three Keys to Watch for the Pirates

• Reynolds sets the tone: Hitting third and serving as the heart of this lineup, Bryan Reynolds needs to be a threat every time he steps in the box. If Reynolds is getting on base and driving runs, Pittsburgh's offense functions. If he's neutralized, the middle of this order loses its teeth.
• Bachar's command in the first three innings: St. Louis has a patient lineup capable of running up pitch counts. Bachar needs to throw strikes early and avoid deep counts if he wants to give the Pirates length. Walks to the top of the Cardinals' order — Wetherholt and Herrera — would be costly in a hurry.
• Cruz's impact from the five-hole: Oneil Cruz hitting fifth gives this Pittsburgh lineup a legitimate power threat in the middle. His ability to do damage against Leahy, particularly with runners on base, could be the difference in a low-scoring afternoon game at Busch Stadium.

Prediction

These afternoon road games at Busch Stadium are rarely easy. The Cardinals have a balanced lineup, and without clear ERA or win-loss data for either starter, this game could go sideways fast if either pitcher loses the strike zone. That said, Pittsburgh's lineup — Reynolds through Cruz — has enough firepower to put runs on the board against a Cardinals starter making a regular-season mid-afternoon start. Give the edge to the Pirates in a close one, 4-3, if Bachar can eat five solid innings and the Pittsburgh bullpen holds. But do not sleep on the Cardinals' ability to make this ugly in a hurry.

Catch the game on SportsNet Pittsburgh on TV or on Sports Radio 93.7 KDKA The Fan if you're listening from Pittsburgh. First pitch is set for 2:15 PM ET.