Yankees head to St. Louis for a Friday night clash, aiming to keep their Wild Card cushion as Luis Gil faces Andre Pallante in a key early-series duel. Gil’s return brings strikeout upside but a shaky 7.27 ERA in a small sample, while Pallante carries a middling 4.95 mark for the Cardinals, who’ve cooled after a Cubs series and sit 3.5 games out of a Wild Card.

Giancarlo Stanton has supplied a bright spark for NYY with a five-game hot streak (9-17, 2 HR, 6 RBI) as the Yankees lean on power to back Gil. St. Louis, fighting to right things, needs clean innings from Pallante and a bullpen bridge to keep this one close. NBC Sports’ modeling nudges toward Yankees on the moneyline and the over, reflecting a game likely rich in offense.