Storylines to Follow as Cardinals Begin Final Series vs. Pirates

The Cardinals are set to kick off their final road trip of 2026.

Sep 20, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals designated hitter Ivan Herrera (48) celebrates with first baseman Alec Burleson (41) after hitting a home run during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Le-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The St. Louis Cardinals were eliminated from postseason contention over the weekend during their final home series. Now, they will look to finish the season strong against two of their National League Central rivals. The first stop on this final road trip is PNC Park, where the Cardinals will take on the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Cardinals are 76-80 as they begin this series against Pittsburgh and sit in fourth place in the National League Central. Here are a few interesting storylines to follow as the Cardinals kick off their final road trip of the year and return to Pittsburgh for the first time since April.

Cardinals can get to third place

The Pirates are 79-77 and three games ahead of the Cardinals for third place in the National League Central. While the Pirates have given the Cardinals fits at Busch Stadium this year, the Cardinals are still leading the season series 6-4, and back in April, they swept the Pirates in a four-game series at PNC Park.

The Cardinals will have a chance to pull off a three-game sweep this week, and if they do, they will not only catch the Pirates in the NL Central standings, but they will also win the season series outright and improve their record over last year.

St. Louis went 78-84 in 2025, but a sweep of the Pirates would put them at 79-80 and give them some momentum as they head to Milwaukee for the final weekend of the season, hoping to play spoiler on the NL Central champions in their quest to secure Major League Baseball's best record.

Kyle Leahy's final start

At this point in the year, it's clear that Kyle Leahy has hit a wall. He has been one of their most consistent starting pitchers and could end up being a solid mid-rotation arm for years to come, but he has been on an innings limit lately.

But because of where things fall with St. Louis' rotation, Thursday will be his final start of the year. He will conclude his first full year of starting and be able to rest in Milwaukee while the Cardinals finish the season.

Leahy will have one last chance to finish the season on a high note and go into the offseason with a little momentum. He has all but secured his place in the Cardinals' rotation for 2027, but it will be interesting to see how he fares in his final start and if he can finish strong.

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