The teams with the two best records in the National League will resume their rivalry when the Pittsburgh Pirates try to trim their deficit in the Central Division against first place St. Louis. Not an easy task considering the Cards also own the best home record in baseball and swept the Pirates when the teams met in Busch Stadium in May.
ODDS ANALYSIS
The Pirates took advantage of the Cardinals setback, inching closer to their division rival after completing a three-game sweep of the Dodgers on Sunday, extending their overall win streak to four. But the Bucs are just a .500 team on the road entering the series at 26-26 and have lost 11 of 13 at Busch Stadium over the past two seasons. The Cardinals saw their 38-inning scoreless streak come to an end in Sunday’s 5-4 loss at Milwaukee, which also snapped St. Louis’ four-game winning streak. The Cards own the best home record in baseball, yet they are just 11-9 in their last 20 with the under at 14-5-1 during that span. The Cards swept Pittsburgh at home to begin May, registering three straight one-run extra-inning victories, and opened with a road victory against the Pirates the following weekend. The Bucs rebounded by claiming five of the next six meetings – all at home – to level the season series.
PITCHING MATCHUP
Gerrit Cole (14-5, 2.39 ERA) leads the NL in wins but has just one in his last four starts. He’s had five quality starts in his last six outings, adding to that total with a lackluster six-inning, three-run showing Friday, in a no-decision against the Dodgers. He walked three hitters for the first time since June 24. In 11 road starts this season, Cole is 6-3 with a 2.01 ERA and 75 strikeouts over 71.2 innings.
In his only start this season against the Cards, Cole tossed seven innings giving up two runs in a home win on July 10. He lost both previous starts at Busch Stadium posting a 4.05 ERA.
Michael Wacha (13-4, 2.92 ERA) was nasty in Thursday’s win over the Reds tossing seven shutout innings with six strikeouts. He hasn’t allowed a run over 14 innings of his last two starts and has a combined 13 strikeouts in that stretch, bouncing back nicely after rough three-game run that saw him give up 13 runs over 17 innings.
Wacha is 1-0 with a 1.42 ERA in two outings against the Pirates this season and owns a 1.69 ERA over 26.2 innings in five career appearances.
QUOTE TO NOTE
“I think it just proves to him that moving to the top of the order wasn’t necessarily a fluke and what he’s got to do to get back into that kind of groove. He changes the rhythm of our offense. He sets the tone and puts together good at-bats. He’s a game changer right now.” – Cardinals manager Mike Matheny on the success of Matt Carpenter batting in the leadoff spot.
LIVE BETTING or SITUATIONAL BETTING
For all the lineup shuffling that manager Mike Matheny has done, one thing is certain: Matt Carpenter belongs in the leadoff spot. Carpenter continues to prove his manager right for the move, crushing a three-run home run Sunday at Milwaukee. The homer gave him and extra-base hit in each of his last six games, including a leadoff homer in Saturday’s game. Since being inserted at the top of the order on July 30, Carpenter is batting .375 with a National League-best seven home runs in 10 games. Runs have been difficult to come by for the Cards at times this season, but Carpenter has been a steady force of late. He led the NL with a 1.028 slugging percentage and 1.478 OPS since July 30.
PROP TALK
Andrew McCutchen is hot and the Pirates offense is reaping the rewards. The former NL MVP ended the week with a two-hit night in Sunday’s 13-6 win over the Dodgers, smacking his 17th home run and driving in four. He hit safely in five straight with a .563 average, two home runs and eight RBIs as the Bucs scored 31 runs while winning the last four. He’s a .274 career hitter against the Cardinals and hit two home runs, including a walk-off on July 11, the last time the teams met. McCutchen has faced Wacha more than any current Bucs player and boasts a .417 career average against him but is still looking for his first round-tripper.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
With two of the best young arms in baseball opposing one another we are likely to see a low-scoring contest. Even the bullpens rank among the best in baseball with St. Louis owning the lowest bullpen ERA and Pittsburgh not far behind with the fourth-lowest. Both teams do just enough offensively to generate wins and the Cardinals have been doing it a lot at home and against the Pirates. It’s still St. Louis’ division and they aren’t ready to relinquish the top spot just yet.
St. Louis 3, Pittsburgh 2
The MLB odds for this game will be available first at BookMaker Sportsbook. Gamble on the game between every half inning with BookMaker’s live betting feature. Along with an adjusted in-game moneyline, you can wager on what will happen in the next at-bat or how many runs will be scored in the next inning. Live betting is the most exciting way to play!
Load your betting bankroll from your smartphone with BookMaker’s new cashier feature! Depositing and withdrawing funds from your account has never been easier. BookMaker's live betting platform means you always have access to odds and lines to every sporting event. Click here and start wagering today! First pitch for the game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals is scheduled for Wednesday, August 12, 2015, at 8:15 p.m. ET at Busch Stadium. The matchup can be seen live on ESPN.
