Philadelphia Phillies vs St. Louis Cardinals Picks and Prediction for Wednesday August 12 2026

The Philadelphia Phillies will face the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday afternoon at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri. First pitch is scheduled for 2:15 PM ET, with ESPN Unlimited and MLB.TV providing coverage. Philadelphia enters the matchup at 64-56 overall and 32-26 on the road, while St. Louis is 59-60 overall and 30-34 at home. At the time of this writing the odds were not released. Bettors looking for more analysis around Wednesday's schedule can also check out free MLB picks.

Starting Pitchers

Philadelphia is expected to send Zack Wheeler to the mound against St. Louis right-hander Kyle Leahy. Wheeler enters at 10-3 with an impressive 2.69 ERA and 0.98 WHIP across 110.1 innings, allowing just 80 hits while striking out 132 and walking 28. Leahy has also put together a solid season at 8-4 with a 3.45 ERA and 1.34 WHIP through 112.1 innings. He has surrendered 116 hits while recording 99 strikeouts against 35 walks. Wheeler has allowed 14 home runs compared with 12 for Leahy.

Philadelphia Finding Ways to Win

The Phillies enter Wednesday at 64-56 and sit seven and a half games behind Atlanta in the NL East. Philadelphia has a winning 32-26 road record and has won three of its last five games. The Phillies recently beat St. Louis 6-5 after taking a 7-6, 12-inning game against Toronto. Their two defeats during the five-game stretch both came against the Blue Jays.

Philadelphia is batting .238 as a team while producing 534 runs, 957 hits and 149 home runs. The Phillies have a .309 on-base percentage and .400 slugging percentage. Kyle Schwarber leads the club with 35 home runs, while Bryce Harper has driven in a team-high 71 runs. Brandon Marsh leads Philadelphia with a .274 batting average.

The Phillies' power stands out entering this matchup. Their 149 home runs are 28 more than St. Louis, and Wheeler gives them an advantage on the mound as well. Philadelphia's overall pitching staff has a 4.20 ERA and 1.31 WHIP, but Wheeler has performed substantially better than those season-long numbers.

Cardinals Look for an Answer at Home

St. Louis comes into Wednesday one game below .500 at 59-60, including a 30-34 record at Busch Stadium. The Cardinals have won three of their last five despite dropping Monday's series opener against Philadelphia 6-5. Their recent victories include a pair against Colorado and a 3-1 road win over the Yankees.

The Cardinals are batting .241 with 520 runs, 960 hits and 121 home runs this season. They carry a .316 on-base percentage and .380 slugging percentage. Jordan Walker has been the centerpiece of the offense, batting .285 with 23 home runs and 83 RBI while producing a .341 OBP and .490 slugging percentage.

St. Louis has a 4.13 team ERA and 1.34 WHIP, with opponents batting .254. Those numbers are comparable to Philadelphia's overall pitching statistics, but Wednesday's starting matchup is more difficult. Leahy has pitched well, but Wheeler's combination of a 2.69 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 132 strikeouts provides Philadelphia with the more compelling starting-pitching profile.

Philadelphia Phillies vs St. Louis Cardinals Picks and Prediction

Pick: Philadelphia Phillies Moneyline

Philadelphia gets the nod behind Wheeler. His 2.69 ERA and 0.98 WHIP give the Phillies a significant starting-pitching advantage, while Philadelphia also possesses considerably more home-run power than St. Louis. The Cardinals have been below .500 at home, and Philadelphia has played winning baseball on the road. With Wheeler controlling traffic better than Leahy and the Phillies possessing the stronger power profile, take Philadelphia on the moneyline.

Pick: Under 8.5

Wheeler is the biggest reason to lean toward a lower-scoring game. He has allowed only 80 hits over 110.1 innings and carries a 0.98 WHIP, while Leahy's 3.45 ERA gives St. Louis a capable starter on the other side. Philadelphia's power creates some risk, but the quality of the starting pitching makes the under attractive at the right number. Take the under if the total is set at 8.5.

This game was completed prior to play on Tuesday.