St. Louis Cardinals vs Colorado Rockies Picks and Prediction for Friday September 4 2026

The St. Louis Cardinals and Colorado Rockies open a three-game weekend series on Friday, September 4, 2026, at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado. First pitch is scheduled for 8:40 PM ET with MLB.TV providing coverage. St. Louis enters at 70-70 overall and 36-32 on the road, while Colorado is 54-86 overall and 29-39 at home. The Cardinals lead the season series 2-1, and ESPN Analytics gives St. Louis a 59.5% chance of winning compared with 40.5% for Colorado. At the time of this writing the odds were not released. Check out our free MLB picks throughout the baseball season.

Starting Pitchers

Kyle Leahy is listed as the probable starter for St. Louis and enters Friday at 10-4 with a 3.13 ERA and 1.31 WHIP across 129.1 innings. He has allowed 131 hits and 13 home runs while recording 118 strikeouts against 38 walks. Ryan Feltner is the probable starter for Colorado and carries a 5-9 record, 5.84 ERA and 1.55 WHIP through 101.2 innings. He has surrendered 113 hits and 19 home runs while striking out 76 and walking 45. The statistical advantage clearly belongs to St. Louis in the starting matchup, although Colorado's probable starter is listed as day-to-day with an estimated September 4 return, so his status should be confirmed before the game.

Cardinals Look to Carry Momentum Into Denver

St. Louis enters Friday at an even 70-70 and sits third in the NL Central, 17 games behind Milwaukee. The Cardinals are 36-32 away from home and have won three of their last five games. More importantly, they arrive in Denver on a two-game winning streak after consecutive road victories over Los Angeles by scores of 13-8 and 8-6 in 10 innings. St. Louis has scored 25 runs across its last three games, suggesting the offense is beginning this series in considerably better form than its season averages might indicate.

The Cardinals are batting .241 with 631 runs, 1,137 hits and 150 home runs. They have posted a .315 on-base percentage and .385 slugging percentage. Those numbers generally trail Colorado's offensive statistics, but St. Louis has been the more productive lineup recently. The Cardinals have scored at least four runs in four of their last five games and reached eight or more in each of their last two. They also enter Friday with a winning 45-39 record in night games.

St. Louis owns the much stronger pitching profile in this matchup. The Cardinals have a 4.24 team ERA and 1.35 WHIP while opponents are batting .254 against them. Colorado enters with a 5.42 ERA, 1.52 WHIP and .287 opponent batting average. That difference becomes even more significant when combined with Friday's probable starting matchup. St. Louis has the better season-long run-prevention numbers and the stronger starting profile, providing a substantial advantage despite playing on the road.

Rockies Return Home on a Two-Game Winning Streak

Colorado enters Friday at 54-86 and sits at the bottom of the NL West, 28.5 games behind the division lead. The Rockies are only 29-39 at Coors Field, but they return home after winning consecutive games against Baltimore. Colorado has gone 2-3 over its last five, with three of those games decided by a single run and another requiring extra innings. The Rockies have therefore been more competitive recently than their overall record might suggest, even though they continue to struggle to turn close games into consistent victories.

Colorado's offense compares favorably with St. Louis in several categories. The Rockies are batting .253 with 655 runs, 1,204 hits and 154 home runs while producing a .323 on-base percentage and .415 slugging percentage. Colorado leads St. Louis in batting average, runs, hits, home runs, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. That offensive profile gives the Rockies a chance to make Friday competitive, especially after scoring 10 runs over their last two victories.

Pitching remains the major problem for Colorado. The Rockies enter Friday with a 5.42 team ERA and 1.52 WHIP while allowing opponents to bat .287, all substantially worse than the corresponding St. Louis numbers. The probable starting matchup also works against Colorado, with the Rockies scheduled starter carrying a 5.84 ERA and 1.55 WHIP. Colorado's offense has enough production to create scoring opportunities, but the combination of poor season-long pitching and a significant starting disadvantage makes it difficult to trust the Rockies over nine innings.

St. Louis Cardinals vs Colorado Rockies Picks and Prediction

Pick: St. Louis Cardinals Moneyline

The St. Louis Cardinals Moneyline is the preferred side for Friday. Colorado owns the stronger season-long offensive numbers in several categories, but St. Louis has a considerable advantage on the mound and enters with better overall and road records. The Cardinals' probable starter carries a 3.13 ERA compared with a 5.84 ERA for Colorado's scheduled starter, while St. Louis also owns a 4.24 team ERA compared with Colorado's 5.42. The Cardinals have won two straight, scored 21 runs during those victories and already lead the season series 2-1. With St. Louis also playing winning baseball on the road, the Cardinals are the preferred moneyline play.

Pick: Over 10.5

The Over 10.5 is the preferred target number. Colorado has produced better offensive numbers than its overall record suggests, batting .253 with a .415 slugging percentage, while St. Louis enters after scoring 25 runs over its last three games. The biggest reason to favor a higher-scoring game is Colorado's pitching profile. The Rockies carry a 5.42 team ERA, 1.52 WHIP and .287 opponent batting average, while their probable starter enters with a 5.84 ERA and 1.55 WHIP. St. Louis has the stronger starting pitcher, but Colorado has enough offensive production to contribute to the scoring. Over 10.5 is the preferred play if the market opens at that number or lower.

Final Picks: St. Louis Cardinals Moneyline and Over 10.5

This preview was completed before play on Thursday. Starting pitchers, betting lines and other game information are subject to change before the game begins.