Can Cards stay hot against Brew Crew?
Bolstered by several unexpected sources, the Cardinals simply continue to make amends for a putrid offensive start.
St. Louis (4-3) aims for its fifth consecutive win in tonight’s middle contest vs. visiting Milwaukee. According to oddsmakers at online sports book BetDSI, the Redbirds are 1.5-run favorites. The over/under figure sits at 7.5 runs.
While last week’s season-opening sweep in Pittsburgh produced ignominious totals of seven runs and 37 strikeouts, the Cards’ subsequent outings have featured nothing but grandiose numbers. Mike Matheny’s squad crossed the plate 31 times in a three-game demolition of Atlanta, then ripped the Brewers for 19 hits in Monday’s 10-1 trouncing. St. Louis now boasts a 40-18 record against the Brew Crew since the beginning of the 2013 campaign.
Interestingly, the home team’s heaviest hitters aren’t even the guys inflicting the greatest damage at the moment. Instead, it’s a pair of rookies who toiled at Class AA Springfield as recently as last summer. Outfielder Jeremy Hazelbaker is 10 for 19 with RBIs in his past five affairs, with shortstop Aledmys Diaz adding a .533 average and five RBIs.
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The new dynamic duo will wield the lumber in support of Mike Leake beginning at 8:15 p.m. ET. General manager John Mozeliak’s key winter acquisition on the mound faltered in his first St. Louis turn, surrendering four runs and seven hits in 4 1/3 innings of a 5-1 loss to the Pirates. Leake hasn’t experienced particularly good success against Milwaukee, either, with a 5.48 ERA over the last four meetings.
Catcher Jonathan Lucroy and second baseman Scooter Gennett enjoy facing the veteran righty, but they’ll need Ryan Braun to up that .188 mark in encounters with the Cardinals’ hurler. Pitcher Chase Anderson must build on a solid debut performance with the Brewers (3-4), too, or else skipper Craig Counsell risks getting embarrassed at Busch Stadium again. With both bullpens feeling rejuvenated following an idle day, though, we expect a specialized tilt that generates a surprisingly low score.
WEDNESDAY MLB FREE PICK: BREWERS/CARDINALS UNDER 7.5 RUNS
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