Cards hope to continue magic against Reds
After a stunning come-from-behind triumph last night, can the Cardinals actually put together back-to-back triumphs at home?
If they want to stay relevant in the race for the National League’s second wild card, that almost seems mandatory. St. Louis takes on Cincinnati at 8:15 p.m. ET, with oddsmakers at online sports book BetDSI leaning toward Mike Matheny’s squad. The Reds enter Busch Stadium as +170 underdogs.
Trailing by four runs going into the bottom of the ninth, the Cards’ hopes of capturing Monday’s series opener appeared nonexistent. Then Bryan Price’s frequently combustible bullpen did its usual thing. Matt Carpenter ultimately came home to score on Yadier Molina’s hit by pitch, giving the Redbirds an improbable 5-4 victory.
The task of sustaining momentum now falls to Mike Leake, who continues to be terrorized by Cincinnati. In two meetings with his old team, the righty has allowed 13 runs across 11 innings. He got rocked for seven runs on hits in a 7-0 defeat at Great American Ball Park almost a week ago.
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Conversely, Brandon Finnegan looked very sharp in that same affair. The southpaw twirled six scoreless frames, permitting a pair of base knocks and striking out four without a walk. For his career, Finnegan holds a 2-1 mark with a 2.81 WHIP vs. St. Louis.
If the Redbirds can’t build momentum on the heels of a finish like last night, it’s probably not meant to be in 2016. We’ll go against conventional wisdom and predict that Leake gives Matheny a much-needed gem. The offense will then create a little breathing room later in the proceedings.
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