Dobbins Debuts vs Pirates, Cards Aim for Sweep

0:00It's April 30, I'm Corey with the story, and this is MLB News Today Baseball News powered by AI. The St. Louis Cardinals are sitting pretty up three games to none against the Pittsburgh Pirates in their four-game series, and they're gunning for A. Clean sweep this Thursday afternoon. After snagging the first three wins, including a dramatic robbery at the wall by Nathan Church on Wednesday 9, the cards now face Pittsburgh's ace. Paul Schienz, who owns most teams, but has struggled against St. Louis. Meanwhile, the Cardinals are handing the ball to Hunter Dobbins for his debut start in a Birds on the Bat uniform. This 26-year-old righty came over from the Boston Red Sox in the offseason after a promising rookie year in 2025. Dobbins got drafted in the eighth round out of Texas Tech, where he posted a tiny 1.35 ERA his senior year. He debuted against the Cardinals that April, helping Boston drop an 18-7 beat down on them, then went 4-1 with a 4.1.

1:00Three ERA, over 13 appearances before a torn ACL sideline him in July. What stands out about Dobbins is his ground ball magic. He ranked in the 78th percentile last year, which plays perfect into St. Louis's elite. Defense, third in the league for outs above average. His fastball pops in the 69th percentile for velocity, and he commands the zone well with a solid slider and curve to keep hitters off balance. If Dobbins clicks right away, he could lock down that rotation spot and keep this Cardinals momentum rolling strong into the second half.