Win or go home.

The Pittsburgh Pirates are faced with that scenario today against the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 5 of the National League Division Series.

St. Louis will send veteran ace Adam Wainwright to the mound, backed by a lineup stocked with postseason experience.

Pittsburgh — nothing more than an MLB punching bag for the previous 20 years — has its hopes pinned to a 23-year-old rookie making the most important start of his life on the road and a lineup void of many big-game at-bats.

Advantage, St. Louis.

Fortunately for the Pirates, baseball is not played on paper.

By the time Wainwright fires the first pitch this afternoon, none of the aforementioned facts will matter.

It’s one game and anything can happen.

There are plenty of reasons to believe the Pirates will advance to the National League Championship Series.

Gerrit Cole, although a rookie, will give the Bucs a chance to win. The same couldn’t be said for A.J. Burnett, who was blasted out of Busch Stadium in Game 1.

Cole has posted nine consecutive quality starts — six innings pitched, three earned runs or less — which includes his Game 2 gem on Friday.

He hasn’t allowed more than two runs over his previous six starts, dating back to August.

It’s rare a rookie is so steady and manager Clint Hurdle made the right call to trust the young horse over the inconsistent Burnett.

Another aspect working in Cole’s favor is the Cardinals’ unfamiliarity with the right-hander. St. Louis never saw Cole during the regular season, and although they faced him in Game 2, a couple of at-bats against his blazing fastball is hardly enough to effectively measure him up.

However, conquering Wainwright will be no easy task.

The Pirates have failed to defeat the right-hander in four attempts this season and the Buccos’ best bet is to stay patient and try to get into the bullpen as soon as possible.

The powerful swing of Pedro Alvarez might be most capable of landing a finishing blow to the St. Louis ace.

The hot-and-cold routine of Alvarez has been well publicized, but there isn’t a more dangerous swing in the Pittsburgh lineup.

“El Toro” has picked up an RBI in each of the Pirates’ five playoff games and has pounded three home runs over the first four games with the Cardinals.

The Buccos will need him to put a dent in Wainwright.

If it becomes a battle of the bullpen — a Pirates’ strength all season long — the advantage should shift to Pittsburgh.

There are no guarantees in a winner-take-all contest, though.

There is no magic formula for Hurdle or St. Louis manager Mike Matheny to follow.

It’s all hands on deck.

May the best team win.

Jason Orfao is a staff writer for the Butler Eagle.