MLB matchup analysis
Cardinals vs Phillies Prediction, Odds and Model Pick
Sunday, August 23, 2026 at Citizens Bank Park · 1:35 PM ET
LyDia decision: Pass on Cardinals vs Phillies
The case for Philadelphia Phillies
The case for St. Louis Cardinals
Why it is not official
Why the setup score is what it is
Why the price is what it is
Read the full model output
The combined Lab Rating did not clear the official threshold.
Final result
Cardinals 4, Phillies 6
How the analysis held up
Philadelphia Phillies won, the side LyDia's model favored.
Cristopher Sánchez (Philadelphia Phillies) was LyDia's favored starter by pitcher score, but Kyle Leahy actually pitched better tonight: 4.0 IP, 0 ER (0.00 ERA) against 6.2 IP, 4 ER (5.40 ERA). The edge did not show up in this game.
The St. Louis Cardinals bullpen was not flagged pregame, but it had a night worth noting: 6 earned runs allowed over 4.2 relief innings (11.57 ERA) — quietly worse than the pregame read implied.
The Philadelphia Phillies bullpen was not flagged pregame, but it had a night worth noting: 0 earned runs allowed over 2.1 relief innings (0.00 ERA) — quietly better than the pregame read implied.
St. Louis Cardinals scored 4, 1.8 more than the 2.2 pregame projection.
Game information
| Matchup | St. Louis Cardinals at Philadelphia Phillies |
|---|---|
| Date | Sunday, August 23, 2026 |
| First pitch | 1:35 PM ET |
| Venue | Citizens Bank Park |
| Starting pitchers | Kyle Leahy vs Cristopher Sánchez |
| Weather | Game-time forecast: 79°F, 4% precipitation chance, 2 mph wind from NW. |
Starting pitcher matchup
Full Pitcher Matchup Tool →| Metric | Cardinals | Phillies |
|---|---|---|
| Pitching plan | Traditional starter | Traditional starter |
| Expected innings | 5 | 6⅓ |
| Throws | R | L |
| LyDia pitcher score (higher is better) | 70 | 77 |
| ERA (lower is better) | 3.13 | 2.62 |
| WHIP (lower is better) | 1.30 | 1.22 |
| K/9 (higher is better) | 8.2 | 10.4 |
| K-BB% (higher is better) | 14.7% | 22.3% |
| K% (higher is better) | 21.7% | 27.7% |
| BB% (lower is better) | 7.0% | 5.4% |
| BB/9 (lower is better) | 2.6 | 2.0 |
| HR/9 (lower is better) | 0.9 | 0.7 |
| Ground-ball rate | 53.3% | 63.5% |
| Fly-ball rate | 46.7% | 36.5% |
Pitcher edge: LyDia gives Cristopher Sánchez a 7-point edge over Kyle Leahy, driven mainly by expected innings (6.2 vs 5.1) and K-BB% (22.3% vs 14.7%).
How to read this: the scorecards above name the starters; every number lives in this table. Highlighted cells mark a gap big enough to matter. K% and BB% are strikeout and walk rate as a share of batters faced -- K-BB% is the two combined into one skill number. HR/9 is home runs allowed per nine innings. Ground-ball and fly-ball rate are neither good nor bad on their own: high ground-ball pitchers trade strikeouts for double plays and fewer home runs, and on this data source the two rates are complementary (they add to 100%), not independent reads.
Strikeout Projections Full strikeout projections →
Same data source as the Pitcher Matchup Tool, where every starter on the slate is compared side by side.
Recent form
Full Stats page →Cardinals are 5-5 in their last 10, averaging 5.2 runs per game over the last 15 days, and swinging above their season form; Phillies are 9-1 in their last 10, averaging 5.9 runs per game over the last 15 days, and swinging above their season form. Season run differential separates them by almost nothing (-0.02 against +0.21).
| Metric | Cardinals | Phillies |
|---|---|---|
| Last 10 | 5-5 | 9-1 |
| Last 10 by venue (away team on the road, home team at home) | 5-5 on the road | 8-2 at home |
| OPS, last 15 days | 0.739 | 0.799 |
| wOBA, last 15 days (hot/cold read) | 0.327 | 0.348 |
| Runs per game, last 15 days | 5.2 | 5.9 |
| K% last 15 days (lower is better) | 21.3% | 15.4% |
Last 15 days only. Hot and cold streaks for all 30 teams live on the Stats page.
30-day offense
Full offense tool →| Last 30 days | Cardinals | Phillies |
|---|---|---|
| OPS | 0.692 (-0.007 vs szn) | 0.765 (+0.047 vs szn) |
| Runs per game | 4.37 (-0.065 vs szn) | 5.39 (+0.820 vs szn) |
| wOBA (model offense input) | 0.308 | 0.336 (+0.020 vs szn) |
| K% (lower is better) | 21.1% | 16.8% (-5.4% vs szn) |
Over the last 30 days the Phillies have been the better offense, 0.336 wOBA to 0.308. They are running hot against their own season line (+0.020 wOBA).
Season profile
Full Stats page →| Metric | Cardinals | Phillies |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 66-66 | 73-58 |
| Run differential / game (team quality) | -0.02 | +0.21 |
| Runs scored / game (offense, season) | 4.43 | 4.57 |
| Runs allowed / game (defense, season, lower better) | 4.45 | 4.37 |
| Season OPS | 0.699 | 0.718 |
| K% season (lower is better) | 20.6% | 22.2% |
| OPS vs opposing hand (season) | 0.712 | 0.726 |
Season-long team quality, not recent form. Run differential and run environment come from the season standings; splits for all 30 teams live on the Stats page, including the run environment table.
The Map
Full interactive map →Every team on today's slate, on any two axes you pick. Cardinals and Phillies are highlighted.
Bullpen matchup
Full Bullpen Fatigue Index →Risk is what the model actually uses: fatigue blended with how well the pen has pitched. High fatigue with high efficiency is a tired pen that is still getting outs.
| Metric | Cardinals | Phillies |
|---|---|---|
| Fatigue | 6.4/10, Tired | 5.2/10, Normal |
| Efficiency | 4.1/10, Below average | 5.9/10, Effective |
| Combined risk | 6.9/10, Tired | 4.8/10, Normal |
| Relief innings, last 7 days | 29.7 | 19.3 |
| Back-to-back arms | 7 | 5 |
| 7-day ERA | 5.76 | 2.79 |
| 7-day WHIP | 1.28 | 1.29 |
Fatigue measures workload. Efficiency measures recent run prevention. Combined risk is what the moneyline and totals systems use.
Run total projection
Full Totals Projections →The model projects 2.0 runs above the market total. A research lean still requires a setup rating of at least 7.0/10. Team totals remain research-only until their graded sample is established.
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