Oh, Cards shoot to rebound vs. Reds
In a St. Louis bullpen rife with question marks, Seung Hwan Oh has been the one stabilizing presence all season. But even Mike Matheny’s closer looked mortal last night.
Oh took the 3-2 loss in Cincinnati, as the Cardinals squandered another chance to build on their lead for the second wild-card spot in the National League. The two teams meet again this afternoon, with a 4:10 p.m. ET first pitch at Great American Ball Park. Handicappers at online sports book Bovada.lv look for the visitors to bounce back. The Reds, on the other hand, enter as +110 underdogs.
While Oh hopes to receive an opportunity to redeem himself in the late innings, starter Jaime Garcia must set the pace for the Redbirds. The lefty had a roller-coaster August, going 3-2 with a 5.06 ERA. Yet he always seems to relish trips to the Queen City. In 19 career outings vs. Cincy, Garcia is 11-4 with a 3.65 ERA.
Meanwhile, Dan Straily aims to recover from his own folly of a week ago. The veteran righty was tagged for seven runs and eight hits hits by the Angels, his worst showing of the campaign. Prior to that misfire, however, Straily had been 6-0 with a 1.98 ERA since the All-Star break.
MLB Quick Links: Scores & Matchups | Injuries | Odds Comparison | Betting Trends | ATS Stats
The Reds are only 3-8 over their last 11 games. Nonetheless, getting Joey Votto (.309/.430/.524) back in the mix for the matinee in question would be a big boost. The first baseman missed the series opener due to a stiff neck. Either way, expect a greater dose of offense in round two.
SATURDAY MLB FREE PICK: CARDINALS/REDS OVER 9 RUNS