The home field dominance the Cardinals have displayed over the past several seasons hasn’t been there this year, which partly explains why St. Louis is hovering around the .500 mark. In the middle of a nine-game homestand, the hosts can change that when they face the Diamondbacks on Saturday.
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ODDS ANALYSIS
The Cardinals hoped they could come home and get a running start for their second shot at the first-place Chicago Cubs next week. They were coming off a promising 4-2 road trip to Southern California and due to face a couple of middling teams. St. Louis takes on the D-backs in the middle of a nine-game homestand after opening with Colorado.
Busch Stadium is where the Cards cleaned up last season as owners of the best home record in baseball. That hasn’t been the case so far in 2016 and Tuesday’s 3-1 setback to the Rockies dropped St. Louis to an unsightly 9-11 in their own yard. The Cards didn’t lose their 11th home game last season until July 3, at which point they had already won 29 times.
PROBABLE PITCHERS
Robbie Ray (2-2, 4.46 ERA) held the Yankees to two runs in seven innings and cruised to a win on Monday. The D-backs scored nine runs while he was in the game and 12 overall, giving Ray an easy path to just his second win in eight starts this year. It was his longest outing and first quality start since Apr. 19, when he blanked the Giants over six innings.
Ray walked one and fanned six giving him 47 punchouts in 42.1 innings. But it’s just the second time he’s walked fewer than two in a start. He’s been much better on the road this season with a 2.82 ERA in four starts compared to his 6.30 ERA at Chase Field. He’ll face the Cards for the second time.
After going winless in his first six starts, Mike Leake (2-3, 4.66 ERA) has been victorious in his last two. He had a fine outing Sunday against the Dodgers, giving up just one run on a Corey Seager homer and five hits over six innings. He struck out three and threw just 71 pitches before being lifted for a pinch-hitter in the seventh.
Leake has allowed just two earned runs over 14 innings in his past two starts to lower his ERA from 6.03 to 4.66. He struggled against the D-backs last season going 0-2 with a 9.35 ERA and allowed 19 hits in 8.2 innings across two starts.
LIVE BETTING
One factor pointing in the Cardinals’ favor as they look to make a run at the Cubs in the NL Central is the health of catcher Yadier Molina. Two surgeries were needed when the first “didn’t take” to repair a torn ligament in his thumb after he hurt himself making a tag at the plate last Sep. 20. There was even some question as to whether Molina would be fully healthy by opening day.
Not only has he been healthy, but he’s playing like the Molina who is a seven-time All-Star and eight-time Gold Glove winner. Entering the week Molina led all major league catchers with a .333 batting average, 11 doubles and is third with a .865 OPS. And he continues to be one of the best defensive backstops in the game.
QUICK PICK
The baseball teams split a four-game set in Arizona last month with Saturday’s starters both missing that series. St. Louis jumped all over the D-backs’ aces in that series scoring 15 runs combined in games started by Zack Greinke and Shelby Miller, and tacking on 11 against Patrick Corbin. They were blanked in the finale by Rubby De La Rosa, however.
This is a different Cardinals team than what we’re used to seeing. The offense has been carrying the club while the pitching is around the middle of the pack. They’ve also struggled at home. That will change as they prepare for a showdown with the Cubs starting Monday. Leake has performed brilliantly in his last two outings and should continue his roll against the D-backs, who aren’t as potent away from Chase Field.
MLB Odds: St. Louis 4, Arizona 3
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 Arizona Diamondbacks and St. Louis Cardinals is scheduled for Saturday, May 21, 2016, at 4:05 p.m. ET at Busch Stadium. The contest will be televised nationally on FS1.
