Astros, Cardinals kick off interleague series
In a first half rife with frustration, Houston has found very few redeeming qualities. One of those bright spots, though, strides to the hill tonight.
Doug Fister aims to help the club bust out of an extended funk as it begins an interleague set vs. St. Louis (35-28), with an 8:15 p.m. ET first pitch at Busch Stadium. Handicappers at online sports book Bovada.lv list the home team as a 1.5-run favorite. A.J. Hinch’s Astros, on the other hand, enter as +142 underdogs. The over/under total rests at 8.5 runs.
Bet on This Evening’s MLB Action
On the heels of last year’s playoff berth in the American League, Houston simply can’t muster any consistency from series to series. Reigning Cy Young Award winner Dallas Keuchel fell to 3-9 with Sunday’s loss to Tampa Bay, and stud shortstop Carlos Correa missed the entire weekend due to a sprained left ankle. In many ways, Hinch’s troops are just fortunate to be in the wild-card mix.
Time and time again, however, they’ve responded with Fister (6-3, 3.34 ERA) on the mound. He’s captured five consecutive decisions, permitting one run across 12 innings during two starts in June. Fister could hardly hang onto a mop-up role with the 2015 Nationals, and yet the Fresno State product is carrying Hinch’s vulnerable rotation at present.
MLB Quick Links: Free Matchup Reports | Injuries | Odds Comparison | Scoreboard | Betting Trends
As for his counterpart, Jaime Garcia (4-5, 3.89) hardly resembles the person who dominated the senior circuit a season ago. In his most recent outing, the lefty got hammered for 13 base knocks and five runs in 4 2/3 frames. He’s 1-3 with a 6.37 ERA since May 17.
The Stros (30-35) have dropped five of seven, but their righty-heavy lineup matches up well against Mike Matheny’s southpaw. Regardless of whether Correa suits up, expect a healthy supply of offense in the Gateway City. We’ll take the visiting Stros to strike the final blow.
TUESDAY MLB FREE PICK: ASTROS +1.5
Want More Picks, Predictions & Odds From The Spread.com? Follow on Twitter and Facebook or Subscribe to Our News Feeds!