Can Holliday, Cards club Reds again?
It’s no great secret that Cincinnati usually fares much better at the Great American Ballpark than on the road. This year’s disparity, however, comes across as especially striking.
The Reds will attempt to correct their woes beyond the Queen City in a 2:15 p.m. ET matchup vs. scorching St. Louis. According to oddsmakers at online sports book Bovada.lv, the host Cardinals represent 1.5-run favorites to topple Cincy again. The over/under figure is seven runs.
Mike Matheny’s group blasted six home runs in last night’s 14-3 thrashing. Matt Holliday crushed two of those long balls, ensuring his first multi-homer contest since Aug. 30, 2014. Over the last seven games, the Redbirds have launched 15 dingers, averaged 9.4 runs and batted .328.
Adam Wainwright would welcome such support this afternoon. After back-to-back misfires at Pittsburgh and Atlanta, Wainwright’s still searching for that initial win of 2016. The recent track record vs. the Reds seems to portend good things, though, as he’s reeled off three straight victories against them.
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Cincinnati (5-5) just needs some sliver of hope in an away setting. Bryan Price’s group faces the prospect of dropping five in a row on the road for the first time since 1984. Eugenio Suarez (.342 average with nine RBIs) continues to carry the offense, but at what point does Joey Votto begin mashing? The first baseman carries a middling .243 mark through 37 ABs.
Contrary to popular opinion, St. Louis (6-4) no longer gets flummoxed by every lefty under the sun. Brandon Finnegan (0-0, 2.84 ERA) must keep the ball low today and avoid entering the increasingly hot Matt Carpenter’s wheelhouse. Yet even if the young southpaw produces another respectable outing, the Cards simply delight in devouring the Reds at Busch Stadium.
SATURDAY MLB FREE PICK: CARDINALS -1.5
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