Astros target quick sweep of Cardinals
The road has not been kind to the Astros this year. Tuesday’s trip to the Gateway City, however, provided a welcome exception to the rule.
Houston fended off St. Louis, 5-2, behind Colby Rasmus’ ninth homer of the season and a sparkling performance from starting hurler Doug Fister. A.J. Hinch’s squad tries to sweep the two-game interleague series this evening, with a 7:15 p.m. ET first pitch at Busch Stadium. Oddsmakers at online sports book BetDSI like the Cardinals to get back on track, whereas the Stros are considered +121 underdogs.
Even with last night’s victory, the AL West’s third-place club holds a 14-21 record away from Minute Maid Park. The man who follows Fister in the rotation, Colin McHugh (5-5, 5.22 ERA), doesn’t seem particularly sharp anywhere. Hinch’s sophomore righty went only 3 2/3 innings in his most recent assignment. He’ll face the Redbirds for the third time in his brief career.
Mike Matheny’s mainstay on the mound, Adam Wainwright (5-4, 5.21), boasts plenty of experience – and success – vs. Houston. The veteran owns a 13-1 mark with a 1.57 ERA in 21 total encounters against the Astros. Wainwright is coming off arguably his finest outing of the campaign, too, as he fanned nine Reds nearly a week ago.
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If the Cards’ curveball specialist steers clear of Rasmus, look for the hosts to earn the split. With Carlos Correa (.252 batting average) and Carlos Gomez (.189) still figuring it out at the plate, the Stros simply can’t instill confidence on a consistent basis.
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