Piscotty to push Cards past Rockies?
Michael Wacha hasn’t exactly been operating at a Grade A level lately. Then again, the St. Louis righty isn’t receiving much assistance from those behind him.
The No. 2 man in the Cardinals’ rotation tries to avoid his fifth straight losing start tonight, with a 7:15 p.m. ET first pitch against Colorado. Oddsmakers at online sports book BetDSI are confident in Wacha’s ability to right the ship, listing the hosts as 1.5-run favorites. The over/under run total, meanwhile, is seven.
After a blazing beginning to 2016, Wacha’s (2-4, 3.23 ERA) recent rough stretch coincides with the Redbirds’ general ineptitude in the field. On Friday, the 24-year-old could only watch as the defense committed four errors in an 8-4 defeat to the Dodgers. Mike Matheny’s group bested the Rockies (20-19) last night, 2-0, despite committing its MLB-worst 36 error.
The NL West competitors, for their part, continue to play largely clean baseball. Although the team’s five-game winning streak just ended, youngster Jon Gray (1-1, 4.71) hopes to build on last week’s impressive turn at Coors Field. The former first-round draft choice finally notched a W in his 14th career appearance, yielding two runs and fanning eight in seven innings vs. the Mets. Gray boasts a 1.80 ERA in a trio of assignments this month.
MLB Quick Links: Free Matchup Reports | Injuries | Odds Comparison | Scoreboard | Betting Trends
Nonetheless, the Oklahoma product must be extremely leery of Stephen Piscotty. St. Louis’ second-place hitter totes a .371 average since May 2. He’s a .346 lifetime hitter at Busch Stadium, too, albeit across 127 at-bats.
Piscotty needs help from the slumping Matt Holliday (1 for his past 15) and Matt Carpenter (.246), but the Cardinals enjoy the advantage on paper. Provided that Wacha holds Nolan Arenado and Carlos Gonzalez at bay, look for the Redbirds to improve to 22-19.
THURSDAY MLB FREE PICK: CARDINALS -1.5
Want More Picks, Predictions & Odds From The Spread.com? Follow on Twitter and Facebook or Subscribe to Our News Feeds!