The Baltimore Orioles head to St. Louis for a Wednesday night interleague matchup against the Cardinals at Busch Stadium, first pitch set for 7:45 PM ET on August 26. Kyle Bradish gets the ball for Baltimore against Cardinals right-hander Michael McGreevy. With the regular season in its final stretch, every game carries weight, and the Orioles will need a strong road performance to come away with a win in a ballpark that can be unforgiving for visiting clubs.

Orioles vs. Cardinals Pitching Matchup: Bradish vs. McGreevy

Kyle Bradish draws the Wednesday start for the O's, and the assignment matters. Bradish has been one of Baltimore's most important starters, and how he commands the zone against a Cardinals lineup that can string together contact will set the tone early. He'll need to keep the ball away from Jordan Walker, who slots into the cleanup spot for St. Louis, and Alec Burleson, hitting third and playing first base. If Bradish can work efficiently and limit traffic on the bases, the Orioles' offense should have enough firepower to do the rest.

On the other side, Michael McGreevy gets the nod for St. Louis. The Cardinals righty will face a Baltimore lineup loaded with legitimate threats from top to bottom. McGreevy will have his hands full from the jump.

Orioles Starting Lineup at Busch Stadium

• Jackson Holliday, 2B
• Pete Alonso, DH
• Gunnar Henderson, SS
• Samuel Basallo, 1B
• Christian Encarnacion-Strand, 3B
• Dylan Beavers, LF
• Leody Taveras, RF
• Colton Cowser, CF
• Carlos Narváez, C

Keys to Watch for Baltimore

Gunnar Henderson and Pete Alonso in the Heart of the Order

The two and three slots — Alonso at DH and Henderson at shortstop — are Baltimore's engine. If those two are getting on base and driving runners in, the Orioles become very difficult to beat. Henderson hitting third gives the lineup a genuine middle-of-the-order threat who can change a game with one swing, and Alonso immediately in front of him creates a problem St. Louis has to solve.

Jackson Holliday Setting the Table

Holliday leading off at second base means Baltimore wants him on base early and often. If he can work McGreevy deep into counts and find his way on base in the first inning, it puts immediate pressure on the Cardinals' starter and gives Alonso and Henderson a chance to do damage right away.

Samuel Basallo and the Middle of the Order Depth

Basallo hitting cleanup is a statement about how far this organization has come in building its lineup. The 1B slot is not a void — it's a threat. Cardinals pitching cannot afford to pitch around Alonso and Henderson only to face Basallo with runners on.

Prediction

This is a winnable road game for Baltimore. Bradish is capable of giving the Orioles a quality start, and the lineup, from Holliday at the top through Narváez at the bottom, has enough depth to create problems for McGreevy. The Orioles take this one, 5-3, on the strength of a good Bradish outing and a couple of big hits from the middle of the order. Catch the action on MASN or tune into WBAL 1090 AM.