See the Score for Pirates vs Cardinals Game – August 25th, 2025

Pittsburgh Pirates

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St. Louis Cardinals

As the St. Louis Cardinals prepare to face the Pittsburgh Pirates on August 25, 2025, both teams find themselves in the midst of disappointing seasons. The Cardinals hold a record of 64-67, while the Pirates sit at 57-74. Each team has struggled to find consistency, and this matchup marks the first game of their series. In their last outings, the Cardinals lost to the Pirates by a score of 7-2, while the Pirates managed a shutout victory against another opponent, winning 4-0.

On the mound, the Cardinals are projected to start Michael McGreevy, who has been a bright spot in their rotation with a 5-2 record and a respectable 4.42 ERA. McGreevy’s advanced stats indicate he has been somewhat unlucky this season, as his 3.39 FIP suggests he could perform even better. He is expected to pitch around 5.5 innings, allowing an average of 2.1 earned runs. However, his tendency to give up hits—averaging 5.4 per game—could be a concern against a Pirates offense that, while struggling overall, has shown flashes of effectiveness.

Johan Oviedo, starting for the Pirates, has had a mixed season, with a 1-0 record and a 4.50 ERA. His projections indicate he could pitch 5.1 innings while allowing around 2.5 earned runs. Despite his below-average status in the Power Rankings, Oviedo has the potential to exploit the Cardinals’ low power numbers, as they rank 27th in home runs.

With the Cardinals’ offense ranking 21st in MLB and the Pirates at the very bottom, this matchup could hinge on which pitcher can better control the game. The Cardinals have a slight edge in the betting market, with a moneyline of -135, reflecting their perceived advantage as they look to capitalize on the Pirates’ struggles.

Pittsburgh Pirates Insights

• Joey Bart – Over/Under 0.5 Hits (-160/+125)
  Joey Bart is projected to hit 8th on the lineup card today, which would be a downgrade from his 67% rate of hitting in the top-half of the lineup this season.
  Explain: The lower in the order a player bats, the fewer plate appearances he will get and the fewer opportunities he will get to hit the Over for every market. A player who hits lower in the order than he normally does may provide extra value opportunity since the market may be based on him hitting higher.
• Pittsburgh Pirates – 2H Moneyline
  The Pittsburgh Pirates bullpen grades out as the 4th-worst in the league, according to the leading projection system (THE BAT).
  Explain: Most bettors only consider the starting pitcher, but a weak bullpen sneakily creates an easier matchup for the opposing offense and boosts a game’s runs.

St. Louis Cardinals Insights

• Michael McGreevy – Over/Under 4.5 Strikeouts (+120/-155)
  Michael McGreevy’s 91.1-mph fastball velocity this year ranks in the 21st percentile among all starters.
  Explain: Velocity is a key component to fastball success in generating strikeouts and preventing runs.
• Lars Nootbaar – Over/Under 1.5 Total Bases (+145/-185)
  The Pittsburgh Pirates have just 1 same-handed RP in their bullpen, so Lars Nootbaar stands a good chance of never losing the platoon advantage against the ‘pen all game.
  Explain: Hitters perform worse against pitchers of the same handedness (i.e. righty-vs-righty), and being able to avoid those matchups against the bullpen boosts performance and creates hidden edge.
• Lars Nootbaar – Over/Under 1.5 Total Bases (+145/-185)
  Lars Nootbaar hits a high percentage of his flyballs to center field (41.4% — 99th percentile) and sets up very well considering he’ll be hitting out towards the league’s 7th-shallowest CF fences today.
  Explain: This player’s skill set matches up particularly well with the park he’s in today, which may lead to better-than-usual performance.

Betting Trends

• St. Louis Cardinals – Over/Under 1.5 1st Five Innings (F5) Team Total (-155/+120)
  The St. Louis Cardinals have hit the 1st Five Innings (F5) Team Total Under in 27 of their last 46 games (+5.75 Units / 10% ROI)
• Pittsburgh Pirates – Over/Under 3.5 Team Total (-120/-110)
  The Pittsburgh Pirates have hit the Team Total Under in 76 of their last 126 games (+21.30 Units / 14% ROI)
• Nick Gonzales – Over/Under 0.5 RBIs (+195/-260)
  Nick Gonzales has hit the RBIs Under in his last 9 games (+9.00 Units / 42% ROI)