Game 112: Pirates at Cardinals

Pirates need this one like they need no other. Can't afford to be swept in St. Louis.
Probables: Francisco Liriano (7-6, 3.13) vs. Lance Lynn (9-6, 2.76)
Preview:
http://m.mlb.com/news/article/201508...game_pk=415365
"Cards hope to cook up a sweep of Bucs at home
By Tom Singer / MLB.com | + 1 COMMENTS
When they part following Thursday night's game, the Pirates and Cardinals will be saying "See you soon" to each other. The National League Central contenders will reconvene in Busch Stadium in only three weeks -- raising the importance of the impressions left by this series finale.
The Cards want to sustain their home dominance over the Bucs, who in turn need to show they can handle Busch Stadium so they do not dread returning -- and that could be for a postseason visit, just as it was for the 2013 NL Division Series.
Those fates rest in the hands of lefty Francisco Liriano, who personally has not shared the Pirates' overall Missouri misery, and of right-hander Lance Lynn, the Cards' habitual winner. Lynn's 57 wins since the start of the 2012 season include five over Pittsburgh. Liriano has a 1.38 ERA in four Busch Stadium starts, which include a complete-game four-hitter in 2013.
Three things to know about this game
• The Cardinals have succeeded at home against the Pirates by not letting them follow through on threats; entering the series finale, the Bucs are hitting .091 with men in scoring position in Busch Stadium this season.
• Liriano has thrown only five innings in two weeks: His Aug. 4 start against the Cubs was cut short after two innings by a long rain delay, and he lasted only three innings on Aug. 8 against the Dodgers.
• Lynn's 2.15 ERA at Busch Stadium is the NL's eighth-lowest home figure.
Tom Singer is a reporter for MLB.com and writes an MLBlog Change for a Nickel. He can also be found on Twitter @Tom_Singer and on his podcast. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs."