St. Louis hosts Pittsburgh in a pivotal NL Central showdown as STL sits 65-68, 6.5 games out of the NL wild-card with 29 to play. Alec Burleson delivered a two-out ninth-inning homer to spark a 7-6 win, while Pittsburgh answered with an 8-3 victory on Tuesday. Sonny Gray starts for the Cardinals; Carmen Mlodzinski goes for the Pirates. The SportsLine model pegs Pirates +1.5 as the likely outcome in a close, grind-heavy night for fantasy managers.

Gray (12-6, 4.33) is 2-1 with a 2.45 ERA in three starts versus Pittsburgh this season and has allowed three runs or fewer in four of his last five outings. Mlodzinski (3-7, 3.89) will be making his 11th start, after facing STL twice earlier this year (1-0, three runs, eight Ks in 9 2/3 IP). Pirates have won five of six, adding intrigue for DFS and prop bets on a tight, late-inning affair.

Betting note: Pirates +1.5 at -147 in 68% of SportsLine simulations. This one could hinge on bullpen usage late if Gray holds the Pirates down, while Burleson’s late-inning power keeps STL within striking distance. Fantasy managers should weigh staged stacks and late-inning opportunities in what could be a high-leverage, late-season tilt.

Wednesday's main slate of 10 MLB games starts at 7:07 pm ET, with a 1:05 pm early slate also on tap. The night centers on a pitcher-friendly environment, led by premium arms and a solid value tier. Framber Valdez and Sonny Gray headline the stud targets, with Gray favored by form and matchup against Pittsburgh. Eric Lauer and rookie Ryan Bergert offer salary relief with quality upside, while Carmen Mlodzinski and Bubba Chandler present upside bets if they can push through innings.

Offense leans into ordered stacks: Seiya Suzuki and George Springer anchor price-conscious Cubs and Blue Jays cores, respectively. The Texas Rangers pop as the clearest stack (Josh Smith, Wyatt Langford, Corey Seager) even with Semien out, while the Astros—Jeremy Peña, Jose Altuve and Christian Walker—shape a tight mini-stack against the Rockies. Add value bats like Pavin Smith and Royals options, and stay alert for late-breaking lineup news.

Pittsburgh rode two veteran power bursts and a wave of young arms to a 5-1 win over Colorado. Andrew McCutchen started the scoring with a two-run homer, followed by Jared Triolo’s two-run shot to push the lead to four. Mike Burrows delivered four shutout innings while Carmen Mlodzinski, Kyle Nicolas and Colin Holderman held the Rockies scoreless through eight. Brenton Doyle spoiled the shutout with a ninth-inning solo blast for Colorado.

Fantasy takeaway: McCutchen’s hot stretch should keep him in the middle of the Pirates’ RBI opportunities, Triolo’s power adds a speculative DFS angle, and Burrows’ early effectiveness makes Pirates’ rotation depth worth monitoring. Rockies’ late-resistance aside, Pittsburgh showed late-season potential with a bullpen surge and timely offense.

Kyle Tucker sparked a late Cubs rally with a leadoff single in the eighth, then Suzuki delivered an RBI single to break a scoreless tie, followed by Hoerner driving in another on a double. The Cubs hung on for a 3-1 win over Pittsburgh, fueled by seven efficient innings from Shōta Imanaga and a clean, clutch bullpen finish from Brad Keller.

Chicago moved to 13-2 in games following a win after a stretch of frustration, and they tightened their grip on the NL wild-card picture. Javier Assad is set to start Sunday as the Cubs look for the series victory, while Carmen Mlodzinski draws the Pirates again in the finale. The game featured a rare Tucker burst of emotion and a bullpen sequence that kept Pittsburgh at bay late.

From a fantasy lens, Imanaga’s seven innings behind a low-yrmpathn bullpen arms his stock as a streamer, while Tucker, Suzuki, and Hoerner each delivered run-producing actions that can translate into short-term value when the Cubs rally in big moments.

Seiya Suzuki delivered the go-ahead RBI single in the eighth, lifting the Chicago Cubs to a 3-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Kyle Tucker kicked off the scoring sequence by singling and swiping second base before Suzuki’s grounder to center plated him. Nico Hoerner added a two-out RBI double after an intentional pass to Ian Happ. Shota Imanaga spun seven strong innings for the Cubs, and Brad Keller closed it out to seal the win.

The Cubs finally snapped a skid, getting three runs from a lineup that has often been held in check this month. Pittsburgh’s offense was limited to a Tommy Pham homer and a handful of opportunities, with rookie Mike Burrows going five innings and Evan Sisk exiting after one, leaving the Pirates to rue missed chances in a tight ballgame. The series concludes with Cubs ace-in-waiting Javier Assad taking the ball for Chicago and Carmen Mlodzinski opening for Pittsburgh, signaling more bullpen depth will be tested in game three.

Fantasy angles center on Suzuki’s late-game power and Tucker’s baserunning pace in a run-heavy back-end of the lineup, while Imanaga’s seven-inning gem underscores Chicago’s ongoing confidence in the lefty. For Pittsburgh, Pham’s homer provides a spark, but the offense will need more sustained production from the top of the order as the Pirates lean on Burrows’ five innings and a deeper bullpen to cover the rest of the series.