Summer fun: National League's best clash for three-game set at Busch
The Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals, the teams with the two best records in the National League, have played to a stalemate through 10 games this season.
Pirates vs. Cardinals Head-to-Head in 2015
| Pirates | Cardinals | |
| Wins | 5 | 5 |
| One-run wins | 3 | 3 |
| Runs scored | 38 | 39 |
| ERA | 3.07 | 3.16 |
| Batting Average | .262 | .237 |
| BA w/ RISP | .255 | .200 |
| On-base Percentage | .325 | .314 |
| Slugging Percentage | .381 | .365 |
| Home Runs | 8 | 10 |
Despite being on a pace for almost 100 wins, the Pirates have work to do to catch the NL Central-leading Redbirds.
Best Records by Teams That Didn’t Win Division Since 1995
| Team | Record | Win Percentage |
| 2001 Athletics | 102-60 | .630 |
| 2002 Angels | 99-63 | .611 |
| 2004 Red Sox | 98-64 | .605 |
| 1999 Mets | 97-66 | .595 |
| 1997 Yankees | 96-66 | .593 |
The Cardinals' pitching staff is having an historic season up to this point.
Fewest Earned Runs Allowed in First 111 Games of a Season Since 1969
| Team | Earned Runs Allowed |
| 1972 Orioles | 276 |
| 1972 Athletics | 293 |
| 2015 Cardinals | 294 |
| 1972 Dodgers | 311 |
| 1972 Yankees | 314 |
| 1985 Dodgers | 314 |
The Cardinals have been wildly successful all year when either Carlos Martinez or Michael Wacha (tomorrow night's starter) get the start.
Best Team Record When Pitcher Starts
| Pitcher | Team Record | Win Percentage |
| Carlos Martinez (STL) | 17-3 | .850 |
| Michael Wacha (STL) | 16-5 | .762 |
| David Price (DET/TOR) | 17-6 | .739 |
| Gerrit Cole (PIT) | 16-6 | .727 |
| Charlie Morton (PIT) | 10-4 | .714 |
Matt Carpenter is having one of the best home-run hitting seasons ever for a Cardinals' hitter batting at the top of the order.
Most HR by Cardinal Batting Either first or second in order
| Year | Player | HR |
| 1967 | Lou Brock | 21 |
| 2013 | Carlos Beltran | 19 |
| 2006 | Chris Duncan | 18 |
| 2015 | Matt Carpenter | 17 |
| 1952 | Solly Hemus | 15 |