St. Louis at Pittsburgh

The St. Louis Cardinals have had nine straight winning seasons, but there are plenty of signs that they may not make it this year. They enter the second half at 43-45. They send Mike Leake to the mound tonight, and the Cardinals are just 8-9 in his 17 starts on the season. Over the last four years his teams have posted a 47-63 mark. The Pirates will counter with Gerrit Cole at 10-8 on the hill this season when he gets the ball, but a sturdy 5-2 at home as a favorite. The Cardinals allow 5.21 runs per game on the road this season as a dog, and a distinct advantage belongs to the Pirates for this one. Play on Pittsburgh.