Game 158: Cardinals at Pirates

Game two of three versus St. Louis in Pittsburgh
Probables: Michael Wacha (17-6, 3.15) vs. Charlie Morton (9-8, 4.54)
Preview:
http://m.mlb.com/news/article/201509...game_pk=416005
"Cards can clinch Central with win over Bucs
By Adam Berry / MLB.com | @adamdberry | + 5 COMMENTS
The Cardinals are one win away from claiming baseball's most competitive division.
Needing just one victory over the Pirates, the Cardinals will return to PNC Park on Tuesday night with a chance to eliminate the Bucs from the National League Central race and capture their third straight division title.
By winning Monday's series opener, 3-0, the Cardinals widened their NL Central lead over the Pirates to four games, with five games remaining for each club. The Pirates' NL Wild Card lead fell to 3 1/2 after the Cubs beat the Royals, 1-0, in 11 innings Monday.
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St. Louis will take the field with a chance to clinch the division, and the series, behind right-hander Michael Wacha. In what is expected to be his final regular-season start, Wacha can become the first Cardinals starter younger than 25 to win 18 games since Joe Magrane did so in 1989.
Wacha has thrived when facing the Pirates, putting together a 3-0 record and 1.93 ERA in six career games (five starts).
Wacha will line up opposite right-hander Charlie Morton. Pittsburgh is 50-26 at home this season, and Morton has certainly benefited from the familiar surroundings, going 6-3 with a 3.49 ERA in 11 home starts.
Things to know about this game
• As Pirates manager Clint Hurdle pointed out, opposing clubs are doing their best to not let Andrew McCutchen beat them down the stretch. The Pirates' star center fielder has drawn 19 walks (two of them intentional) over his last 10 games.
"They're just throwing pitches and saying, 'If we can get him to swing, we'll get him to swing,'" Hurdle said. "'If not, we'll throw four of them, or five or six, and he can go on down to first.'"
• Wacha has had an up-and-down September, going 2-2 despite posting a 6.75 ERA and allowing opposing hitters to record a .907 OPS against him over his last four starts.
• Morton has struggled his last two times out, allowing 12 runs (11 earned) on 19 hits over 8 1/3 innings against the Cubs and Rockies. Morton couldn't complete five innings in either outing.
Adam Berry is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter at @adamdberry. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs."