Do Cards have enough to slow Howard, Phils?
Ryan Howard has never played for his hometown team. He merely obliterates it every time he travels back to the Gateway City.
The Philadelphia stalwart’s sixth-inning solo jack accounted for the entirety of the offense in yesterday’s 1-0 win over the Cardinals. It was Howard’s 12th homer in 36 contests at Busch Stadium, where the former National League MVP also boasts a .331 average with 40 RBIs.
Game No. 37 unfolds at 8:15 p.m. ET, with the host squad looking to get back to .500. Online sports book BetDSI likes the Cards to do precisely that, installing them as 1.5-run favorites. The over/under run total holds steady at 7.5.
Mike Matheny’s club, which had no answer for uber-prospect Aaron Nola roughly 24 hours ago, hopes for better luck against Adam Morgan tonight. Philly’s 26-year-old hurler receives his second assignment since replacing the injured Charlie Morton in the rotation. He surrendered three runs across five frames in Friday’s 4-3 victory over Cleveland.
On the other side, Mike Leake (0-3, 5.83 ERA) draws the unenviable task of neutralizing Howard. The veteran righty is off to a miserable start after inking an $80 million deal in December. He’s experienced a fair amount of success vs. the Phils, however, going 2-0 with a 1.71 ERA and 20 strikeouts in the past three meetings.
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Following a sublime pitching matchup between Nola and Michael Wacha, this one seems tailor-made for the fireworks enthusiasts out there. The Cardinals probably won’t suffer their seventh defeat in nine home games, but Pete Mackanin’s surging group competes hard at every turn. We’ll ultimately settle on the outfit with the final round of at-bats
WEDNESDAY MLB FREE PICK: PHILLIES/CARDINALS OVER 7.5 RUNS
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