Pirates Edge Cardinals 2-1 as Skenes Fires 8 Ks

Paul Skenes was the story at PNC Park on Thursday afternoon. The Pirates right-hander went 6.1 innings, allowed one earned run on three hits, struck out eight and walked two, and Pittsburgh held on for a 2-1 win over the St. Louis Cardinals.

Oneil Cruz supplied the offense with two hits, a run scored and three total bases. Alec Burleson accounted for the only St. Louis run, homering as part of a 1-for-4 day. Kyle Leahy lasted just two innings for the Cardinals, giving up one earned run on three hits with three strikeouts.

How our picks fared

• Pirates moneyline — WIN. Pittsburgh took the game outright, exactly the side we backed.
• Cardinals +1.5 run line — WIN. A one-run final meant the road dog covered.
• Over 6.5 total — LOSS. The game finished at three combined runs, well short of the number. Skenes' dominance and a short St. Louis start kept the scoreboard quiet all afternoon.
• Paul Skenes over 6.50 strikeouts — WIN. Eight punchouts cleared the line with room to spare.
• Alec Burleson over 0.50 hits — WIN. He homered and finished with a hit.

Takeaway

The Skenes strikeout over at plus money was the cleanest read on the board, and it delivered. The lesson from the total is the same one that repeats late in the season: when an elite arm faces a lineup with nothing left to play for, the under deserves more respect than a coin-flip price suggests. Expect us to weight late-September motivation and ace-vs.-eliminated-team spots more heavily going forward.