Cardinals vs. Pirates watch online LIVE stream 7:05 Friday night as the battle for first in the N.L. central continues. Pittsburgh play host the St. Louis franchise with a one-game lead in the division.

Watch online LIVE stream as the Cardinals vs. Pirates matchup becomes the most important game of the night and now the most important series this weekend. Whichever team doesn't win the division, the other will have to play, in all likelihood, the Cincinnati Reds.

That matchup would be a one-game wild card matchup just to advance in the playoffs. Your 162 season could come to an end in one night. Neither the Pirates or Cardinals want to be in that position, which proves the importance of this online LIVE stream of two top teams vs. one another.

The Cardinals have one of the best offenses in all of baseball and it has propelled them to the top of the tight-division, which the Reds are 3.5 games out.

"If you have an offense like the one we have here, it's great," outfielder Carlos Beltran told MLB.com. "As a player, you don't feel like you have to do anything special in order to make it happen, you just have to do your job. Right now, with Carpenter just having the year that he's having, I'm hitting second and I'm getting on base, Matt Holliday hitting third, getting hot ... Craig being able to do it all year round, being able to drive in that many runs, it feels great. And Yadier Molina, you know, leading the league in hitting. It doesn't get better than that."

Pittsburgh optioned All-Star lefty Jeff Locke and rookie catcher Tony Sanchez to Double-A Altoona on Wednesday. The club wanted Locke (9-4, 3.22 ERA) to catch his breath.

The 25-year-old has posted a 12.71 ERA over his last three starts.

"This move allows us to give Jeff Locke a short break," general manager Neal Huntington said. "It also allows Tony Sanchez to get back to the Major Leagues as soon as the rules permit us to do so. In addition, this gives us the opportunity to maintain a full roster until both Jeff and Tony can return to the club on Sept. 3. That is when the Double-A season is over and when the club intends to recall both players."

WATCH THE GAME HERE, HERE, OR HERE