The Cardinals have won the last six times Adam Wainwright was on the bump, including a 4-3 victory over the Cubs on Monday. But for the most part the right-hander’s pitching hasn’t been responsible for the Ws. Over the six games, the Cards have produced 45 runs.
You can bet on MLB odds at BookMaker.eu every day of the season.
ODDS ANALYSIS
St. Louis has in the past relied on strong pitching to carry them to first place in the NL Central. Poor pitching in 2016 has equated to a spot in the middle of the division standings at this point in the year. The Cards dropped the final two of a three-game set to the Cubs to finish off their homestand with four losses in six games. The rotation has an 8.64 ERA over the last seven games and owns an overall mark of 7.29. The Cards allowed a combined 21 runs over the last two games with Chicago, cashing the over both times and winning for over bettors six times in their last seven outings.
The Nationals outscored the Cardinals 17-6 in a three-game sweep in St. Louis that they finished off on May 1. Washington’s run production lately has been inconsistent. The Nats have plated two runs or fewer in three of their last five games, all losses, and scored a combined 15 in the two wins. They followed a 7-4 victory over the Mets with a 2-0 defeat on Wednesday.
PROBABLE PITCHERS
Adam Wainwright (4-3, 5.77 ERA) allowed three runs on seven hits in six innings taking a no-decision in a game the Cards won 4-3 over Chicago. St. Louis has won Wainwright’s last six starts, and he continues to insist the command and the crispness of his pitches are improving. The next step for him is going deeper in games, as he’s yet to finish seven innings this year.
All told it was a decent outing for Wainwright against a tough Cubs lineup, which didn’t get an extra-base hit off him. But Wano continues to issue far more base runners than he’s used to. With 10 more allowed Monday, his WHIP climbed to 1.54, more than half a point higher than his rates from 2014 and his brief 2015 campaign.
After shutting the Mets down in his previous start, they unleashed a flurry of offense against Gio Gonzalez (3-2, 2.87 ERA) on Monday. Gonzalez was charged with seven earned runs and 10 hits while serving up three homers in just five innings of work. One of the most surprising elements of the Nats strong start has been the pitching of Gonzalez, who entered his last start with a 1.86 ERA. But that number increased by a full run after his disastrous outing.
Gonzalez may have been unnerved by an hour rain delay at the start and his usual catcher, Jose Lobotan, not being behind the plate. He’ll look to bounce back against a Cardinals team he’s had plenty of success against. Gonzalez is 2-1 with a 1.54 ERA in five career starts against them.
LIVE BETTING
It’s been a rough stretch for Bryce Harper. So rough that Dusty Baker held him out of the starting lineup on Wednesday in what the manager called a “mental day.” Baker admitted it was tough to sit Harper in a game between clubs battling for the top spot in the NL East. Harper surfaced as a pinch-hitter in the eighth inning and grounded out, extending his current slide where he has just 14 hits in 77 at-bats for a .182 average in his last 28 games.
“You’re hoping that one game will pay dividends for the next 10 to 15 games,” Baker explained following the 2-0 loss to New York. “Hopefully this day off will help Bryce big-time coming into the Cardinals series.” Harper has had some success against Wainwright during his career, pounding out six hits, including two doubles, in 15 at-bats for a .400 average. Wainwright’s been giving it up to most everybody lately and Harper could sure use a breakout game.
QUICK PICK
A recent stretch of inconsistent offensive play has coincided with the struggles of Harper, preventing the Nationals from putting a solid run together. For the Cards, it’s been an inconsistent rotation that has them sliding further behind the Cubs in the Central. We’ve played nearly a third of the season and the Cards’ pitching woes continue to be a major concern. They may get ironed out, but it also may be too late by the time they do.
The Nats are hoping Harper’s day off gets him rejuvenated for another strong stretch. They need him to produce in the middle of the order and he could have opportunities to bring runners home with Ben Revere heating up in the leadoff spot. Wainwright has put a lot or runners on base this MLB season, and while it didn’t hurt him last time out, he won’t be so fortunate on Saturday.
MLB Odds: Washington 5, St. Louis 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 St. Louis Cardinals and Washington Nationals is scheduled for Saturday, May 28, 2016, at 7:15 p.m. ET at Nationals Park. The matchup will be televised regionally on FOX.
