The St. Louis Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Pirates are set to play game 3 Wednesday night in Pittsburgh, with Andre Pallante starting for St. Louis and first pitch scheduled for 5:40 p.m. Central Time if weather allows it.
Rain is in the forecast for a game that comes as the Cardinals have enjoyed a very comfortable week in Pittsburgh so far. That matters because the schedule is already tight enough without weather getting in the way, and the Pirates are hoping Bubba Chandler can help turn them around in front of their own crowd.
For St. Louis, Pallante gets the ball with the series moving into its middle game and the travel rhythm still working in the Cardinals' favor. For Pittsburgh, Chandler represents the latest chance to change the mood quickly, but the forecast has the power to make the night as much about waiting as playing.
If the rain holds off, the game offers both clubs a clean reset point. If it does not, the only certainty is that the Cardinals' stay in Pittsburgh may end the way so many trips do in April and May: with the weather having the final word.