The Los Angeles Dodgers make a rare visit to Busch Stadium to face the St. Louis Cardinals. Both teams are in second place in their respective divisions and both teams are in the Wild Card race. Los Angeles is leading the race and the Cardinals are only one game behind. We are almost to August, so this game will go a long ways as far as the Wild Card race goes.
ODDS ANALYSIS/INFO
The Los Angeles Dodgers are 53-43 on the year, 23-25 on the road and 12-9 versus National League Central competition. The Dodgers trail the Giants by four games in the NL West.
St. Louis is a dismal 23-28 at home this year which makes their 50-44 overall record that much more impressive. The Cardinals are 13-9 against the National League West. They have to play better at home if they want to make a run at the first place Cubs, currently they trail by seven games.
The Dodgers and Cardinals have played three games this year and Los Angeles has the upperhand winning two of the three matchups.
TV Coverage: ESPN at 8:05 p.m., ET
PROBABLE PITCHERS
SCOTT KAZMIR threw seven innings of one-run ball in his last outing, allowing just four hits and no walks while striking out eight in a win over the Nationals. He bounced back from a poor outing his last time out before the All-Star break, silencing a potent Nationals lineup in the process. His sole blemish was a fifth inning home run by backup catcher Jose Lobaton, during which time Kazmir was dealing with a brief case of cramps. Kazmir now is 8-3 on the year with a 4.30 ERA on the season with 114 strikeouts in 104.2 innings. The Dodgers would be lost without him and will need him to keep pitching well if they plan to be in the mix in October.
UNDECIDED: The St. Louis Cardinals have yet to name a starter for this game. They may call up a spot starter or have 3-4 pitchers go three innings at a time. Whatever they do, they know this is an important game to keep their mojo rolling and will do everything they can to get solid pitching.
SPOTLIGHT PLAYER
COREY SEAGER - SS
Seager has a lock on National League rookie of the year. The Dodgers phenom is batting .301, has 17 dingers and 43 rbi’s on the year and has surprisingly played solid defense. UPDATE: Seager was held out of Thursday’s game due to flu-like symptoms, the third straight game he has missed. Keep an eye out for updates on his status leading up to Saturday night’s game.
THE PICK
Normally, the Cards are tough as nails at home but this year they have surprisingly struggled at Busch Stadium. Kazmir hurled 8 innings in May to whip the Cardinals and Sunday night will be much of the same as the veteran lefty pitches another solid game and beats the Cardinals.
MLB ODDS: Los Angeles Dodgers 6, St. Louis Cardinals 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. First pitch for the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers at St. Louis Cardinals is scheduled for Sunday, July 24, 2016 at Busch Stadium. ESPN will televise the game live at 8:05 p.m., ET.
