Cardinals, Mets kick off set in Midwest
No National League team has belted more homers in 2016 than St. Louis. Yet power alone won’t solve the club’s struggles on the home front.
Heading into a series opener vs. the fading Mets, the Cardinals will attempt to finally gain some traction at Busch Stadium. Online sports book Bovada.lv gives Mike Matheny’s group odds of -170 to prevail tonight. New York, on the other hand, represents a +150 underdog. The over/under run total rests at 8.5.
The Redbirds used four dingers to secure Sunday’s 9-0 triumph at Philadelphia. Road excellence, though, hasn’t been the Central Division stalwarts’ problem throughout the summer. Instead, they must figure out how to improve on a 28-33 record in the Gateway City.
Fortunately, this evening’s starter knows how to get the job done there. Jaime Garcia boasts a 34-20 mark with a 2.78 ERA in 77 career outings in St. Louis. He’s also 3-0 with a pristine WHIP so far in August, having absolutely stifled Atlanta and Cincinnati over the past two weeks.
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On the opposite end of the spectrum, Jonathon Niese is merely trying to hang onto a spot in Terry Collins’ rotation. Coming off a 13-5 defeat at Arizona, the veteran southpaw continues to leave fastballs up in the hitting zone. For a squad with 173 round-trippers on the year, that’s a tantalizing opportunity.
The Mets had hoped Yoenis Cespedes’ recent return from injury would enliven their lineup. At present, however, the defending NL champions sit 4 ½ games behind the Cards for the second wild-card spot. Look for the hosts to show no mercy here.
TUESDAY MLB FREE PICK: CARDINALS -1.5