Cards strive to rebound against Giants
On one hand, the Cardinals would figure to be ecstatic about no longer having to deal with Johnny Cueto. Then again, they’re about to face a brand-new threat on the Giants’ staff.
Lefty Matt Moore makes his first career start against St. Louis tonight, with a 10:15 p.m. ET first pitch in the Bay Area. Online sports book Bovada.lv gives the hosts odds of -115 to prevail, whereas the Redbirds represent +105 underdogs. The over/under run total rests at 7.5.
After failing to make much of an impression vs. Cueto about 20 hours ago, Mike Matheny’s team needs to figure out Moore in a hurry. The Cards currently sit one game behind New York for the second wild-card spot in the National League, and they’ve been particularly sketchy over the past week. Bruce Bochy’s hurler can complicate matters by looking as sharp as he did a few days ago. Moore comes off a start in which he fanned 11 Diamondbacks and allowed just two runs in seven innings.
Luke Weaver’s still trying to find his way into the seventh, but the St. Louis righty continues to impress in his first cycle through the bigs. The Florida native is 1-2 with a 3.48 ERA in six appearances. Most recently, he held the Brewers to one run and three hits across six frames.
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At this point, we don’t necessarily expect the Cardinals to come out with an authoritative performance. Moore’s erratic command, however, offers the visitors at least some reason for optimism. Look for a higher-scoring affair at AT&T Park.
FRIDAY MLB FREE PICK: CARDINALS/OVER 7.5 RUNS