Cards’ Wainwright looks for answers vs. Phils
Adam Wainwright thought he had put the misery of April and May in the rearview mirror. The St. Louis ace’s past two performances suggest otherwise.
After being bombed by the Braves and Cubs in succession, Wainwright (9-7, 4.72 ERA) will try to rectify matters all over again in tonight’s series opener vs. Philadelphia. Online sports book Bovada.lv gives the Cardinals odds of -185 to prevail. Conversely, the Phillies represent +165 underdogs.
Mike Matheny’s troops enter the contest riding a four-game winning streak, having just swept Houston in interleague play. They hold a slim lead over Pittsburgh for the National League’s second wild-card berth. The next course of action: continuing to dominate on the road, where the Cards are a ridiculous 36-23.
Wainwright, then, must undergo another cleansing process of sorts. The veteran righty’s first two months of the season were absolutely brutal, but he rebounded to go 3-0 with a 1.77 ERA in July. Can he respond in a similar manner this time around? Facing the Phils should help, as Wainwright carries a 6-2 mark with a 2.72 ERA in 13 career meetings with the franchise.
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As for the host squad, Pete Mackanin sends Adam Morgan (1-7, 6.62) to the mound. The raw lefty remains in search of his first triumph since May 10. A liner to the elbow forced Morgan to exit last weekend’s turn against Colorado following three innings, but he reported no ill effects thereafter.
Maikel Franco’s two-run homer allowed Philly to salvage yesterday’s finale with the Dodgers. Nevertheless, St. Louis understands what’s at stake here. Look for Wainwright to grind out a decent showing, placing the onus on the Redbirds’ powerful bats to come through in the closing stages.
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