The Pittsburgh Pirates were not at their best last night when they were forced to travel to Colorado for a rained out makeup game from April. They ended up losing the contest 11-5, but I think they'll rebound with a win Friday night as they return to PNC Park for the opener of a three-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Here are my keys to the game:

1. Pitching - The Pirates hand the ball to their ace Gerrit Cole (5-4, 2.85) who is 5-3 with a 2.91 ERA versus the Cardinals. He fanned seven hitters while holding St. Louis to a pair of runs in six innings of a 10-5 win on the road on May 8. The Cardinals counter with Michael Wacha (2-6, 5.16 ERA) who has struggled all year long. He's winless over his last eight starts and yielded four runs in five innings against the Giants his last start. He's 3-2 with a 4.02 ERA in eight career starts against Pittsburgh.

2. Home Cookin' - The Cardinals are 17-12 on the road this season, but the Pirates have won seven of their past eight when hosting a team with a winning road record. They're 4-0 in Cole's last four home starts against St. Louis.

3. X-Factor - Andrew McCutchen is 12-for-22 with a pair of doubles, a triple and a homer off Wacha.

Selection: This is a play on the Pittsburgh Pirates (8*)