Locke tries to lift Pirates past Cards again
The Cardinals have dropped nine straight home games to above-.500 opponents. In other words, the red-hot Pirates are in town at the worst possible time.
Pittsburgh targets its seventh consecutive victory tonight, with an 8:15 p.m. ET first pitch at Busch Stadium. Handicappers at online sports book BetDSI give the slight edge to St. Louis, though, while Clint Hurdle’s club represents a +150 underdog. The over/under run figure is nine.
On Tuesday, the Buccos’ 5-2 triumph dropped the Cards to 18-25 at the facility otherwise known as Baseball Heaven. One of this evening’s starters, Jaime Garcia, hasn’t been immune to the occasional misfire either. After seven seasons of exemplary work in the Lou, Mike Matheny’s sole lefty in the rotation is 3-5 there in 2016. Garcia does, however, boast a 2-1 mark with a 0.57 in six career appearances vs. the Pirates.
Hurdle responds with Jeff Locke, whose numbers away from PNC Park look pretty ghastly. The 28-year-old carries a 3-4 record on the road, not to mention a 7.16 ERA in those nine outings. Pittsburgh genuinely needs him to venture deep into the game in question, too, considering the bullpen just logged five innings.
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The Redbirds have managed only four runs in the set’s first two tilts, but the Pirates must prove that they can harm Garcia. Expect No. 54 to function as a legitimate stopper in a few hours, making tomorrow afternoon’s finale highly intriguing.
WEDNESDAY MLB FREE PICK: PIRATES/CARDINALS UNDER 9 RUNS
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