This is going to be like a playoff atmosphere and the Cardinals can not afford to lose this and fall 3 games back in the loss column. Sending Joe Kelly to the mound on 5 day rest should help as he has a 1.86 ERA with 5 days rest this season and he's got a 1.72 ERA in 8 starts after the All Star game. He's also pitched less than 100 IP because he's come out of the bullpen at times and should be a lot fresher than A.J. Burnett.
Burnett has been worse on the road and is 3-6 in his career at St. Louis, but in the last 3 starts here he's allowed 19 ER in 13 innings with 30 BR. Beltran Carpenter and Descalso have good numbers against him and despite Craig sitting out (he struggled against Burnett anyway) I think we can expect some runs here. Kelly has had two excellent starts vs. the Pirates allowing just 1 ER in 12 IP and the Cardinals bullpen has really hit its stried posting a 1.93 ERA over its last 10 games. Cards are 38-14 in their last 52 hoem games vs. a RH starter and 47-23 in their last 70 following a loss. They get this game and make game 2 all the more interesting.
