NLDS 2013: St. Louis Cardinals at Pittsburgh Pirates Game 4 preview

Oct 6, 2013; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates players including Starling Marte (6) , Russell Martin (55) , Jason Grilli (39) , Marlon Byrd (2) and Andrew McCutchen (22) celebrate after game three of the National League divisional series playoff baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /

Who: St. Louis Cardinals at Pittsburgh Pirates

Where: PNC Park, Pittsburgh

When: 3:07 PM, ET – TBS

Series record: 2-1, Pittsburgh

After 162 games and two decades void of postseason play, the Pittsburgh Pirates had to do one thing to make the 2013 NLDS.

Win a game.

Now, after that Wild Card play-in game victory, the Pittsburgh Pirates have to do one thing to make the 2013 National League Championship.

Win a game.

The Pirates, behind some clutch hitting took a 2-1 series advantage over the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday afternoon, placing them a single victory away from the NLCS.

Looking to halt their progress will be the Red Birds who will send rookie starter Michael Wacha to the mound in the elimination game. Opposing the young Wacha will be veteran Charlie Morton, who has experienced a bit of a career resurgence in Pittsburgh this season. Morton, who holds a career 4.70 ERA has been wonderful for the Pirates this year, posting a 3.26 ERA in twenty starts. As for Wacha, he’s been fantastic in his fifteen games (nine starts), posting a stellar 2.78 ERA alongside a .219 opposing batting average against.

In two games against the Pirates this season (one a start), Wacha has yet to give up a run in nine innings of work while Morton has struggled against the Cardinals (7.90 ERA) in three starts.

A win for the Cardinals sends the series back to St. Louis for the winner-take-all Game 5 while a victory for Pittsburgh punches their ticket to the NLCS.

No pressure, right?

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