Jared Jones gets the nod as Pirates open road set at Cardinals with Quinn Mathews on the mound

The Pittsburgh Pirates are set to open a three-game road series against the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday at Busch Stadium, looking for an early edge in a matchup that immediately turns on starting pitching. According to Yahoo Sports, the first game of the weekend will feature Pirates starter Jared Jones against Cardinals starter Quinn Mathews.

For Pittsburgh, beginning a series on the road means managing both field play and momentum from the first inning. A strong start from Jones would be particularly valuable in the opening game, when each team is still calibrating to the other’s approach after the regular-season routine has had time to settle. While the series unfolds across multiple days, the first meeting often shapes how bullpens are deployed and how aggressively each side uses its later-game options.

St. Louis will have its own incentive to establish control early. Mathews, tasked with setting the tone in the opener, carries the Cardinals’ responsibility of keeping the game within reach, limiting free baserunners, and giving the lineup a chance to work counts and generate run-scoring opportunities. At Busch Stadium, where game plans can hinge on how well pitchers handle pitch efficiency and location, the early innings can decide whether the rest of the series turns into a battle of leverage at the plate or a grind.

Because the matchup is the first of three, both clubs are also watching for continuity. Even without a single swing of momentum, the first game tends to reveal how each lineup is likely to respond to the other’s sequencing. If Jones and Mathews each show different looks early, expect hitters to adjust quickly, particularly with runners on. If either starter struggles to command a secondary pitch, the opposition can force longer at-bats and raise the chance of a short hook and an earlier-than-planned bullpen appearance.

The broader series context matters as well. Interdivisional games against a well-known opponent carry weight for day-to-day standings conversations and postseason positioning, even when the teams are still far from the end of the schedule. For the Pirates, winning on the road against a Cardinals team with a defined home-field identity can also help define the tone of their late-summer run. For the Cardinals, taking the first game provides a chance to dictate the tempo of the set and test Pittsburgh’s ability to respond under pressure.

With Jones and Mathews as the featured starters, the next thing to watch is how long each can stay effective before the game turns to late-inning matchups. If both starters can keep hitters off balance, the contest likely stays tighter and more strategic. If either starter falls behind in counts or concedes traffic early, expect more frequent shifts to relievers and a faster pace of high-leverage at-bats. The rest of the weekend will then hinge on which side can turn that leverage into runs, not just hits.