Pirates Go For Sweep of Cardinals
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates will go for the sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals, as they battle for the third time in the series finale.
Pirates right-handed starting pitcher Mitch Keller makes his 18th start of the season and will face off against Cardinals right-handed starting pitcher Sonny Gray in a meeting of two top pitchers.
Keller got just his second win of the season in the first game of this homestand, with a 9-1 victory over the New YorK Mets on June 27. His other win came in his first outing of 2025, a 4-3 victory over the Miami Marlins at loanDepot on March 28.
He had his best start of the season in his first start vs. the Cardinals, allowing just four hits and no runs over 7.1 innings pitched in an eventual 2-1 win in extra innings at PNC Park on April 9.
Keller allowed three runs over six innings in a 5-0 loss to the Cardinals at Busch Stadium on May 7, the final game before the Pirates fired manager Derek Shelton.
The Pirates keep the same lineup from the previous night, a 1-0 victory over the Cardinals, which gave them their second series win over their National League Central Division foe.
It is the first time since June 10-11 vs. the Miami Marlins at PNC Park that the Pirates kept the same lineup in consecutive games.
They also kept the same lineup in consecutive games two other times under manager Don Kelly, May 23-24 vs. the Milwaukee Brewers and May 9-10 vs. the Atlanta Braves, both at PNC Park.
Spencer Horwitz makes it three straight games at leadoff and will play first base. Ke'Bryan Hayes stays at third base and bats sixth, Nick Gonzales continues on at second base and bats fourth and Isiah Kiner-Falefa plays shortstop again and bats ninth, rounding out the infield.
The Pirates outfield consists of Bryan Reynolds in right field and batting third, Oneil Cruz in center field and batting fifth and Tommy Pham in left field and batting seventh.
Andrew McCutchen stays at designated hitter and will bat second.
First pitch is set for 12:35 p.m.
Pittsburgh Pirates Lineup vs. the St. Louis Cardinals
1B Spencer Horwitz
DH Andrew McCutchen
RF Bryan Reynolds
2B Nick Gonzales
CF Oneil Cruz
3B Ke'Bryan Hayes
LF Tommy Pham
C Henry Davis
SS Isiah Kiner-Falefa
Series finale vs. the Cardinals.
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) July 2, 2025
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Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.