Padres trending up as Cardinals loom
Nobody gave San Diego much of a chance to compete with the majors’ top team over the weekend. After a sweep of division rival San Francisco, though, Andy Green’s group clearly laughs the loudest.
The Padres try to sustain their momentum entering tonight’s series opener against St. Louis, with an 8:15 p.m. ET first pitch at Busch Stadium. Handicappers at online sports book Bovada.lv still need some convincing, though, giving the NL West’s fourth-place squads odds of +162 to spring the upset. Conversely, the Cardinals enter as 1.5-run favorites. The over/under run total sits at 8.5.
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While San Diego was busy dominating the Giants, the Redbirds dropped two of three to visiting Miami. Matt Holliday ripped three of the hosts’ four base knocks in yesterday’s 6-3 defeat, but the left fielder remains stuck at .244. Among regulars, only shortstop Aledmys Diaz boasts a plus.-300 average.
If Mike Leake keeps dealing on the mound, though, perhaps such offensive shortcomings won’t be as damning tonight. In his last start before the All-Star break, the veteran struck out 10 and walked none in a 5-1 triumph over Milwaukee. Usually renowned for his ability to induce a flurry of grounders, Leake used a devastating slider to record eight of those punchouts. The San Diego native ranks second on the Cards’ staff in innings pitched with 111.
Green counters with Christian Friedrich, who’s winless since June 23. Walks continue to flummox the young lefty, as he has surrendered 28 of them in just 60 frames. Friedrich’s numbers away from Petco Park, however, are very respectable. Despite a 2-3 record, he holds a 3.44 ERA and limits the opposition to a .219 average.
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St. Louis ravaged San Diego in late April, plating 19 runs over the course of three meetings. Then again, that set unfolded on the West Coast. The struggle to gain traction at Busch, where Mike Matheny’s gang totes a 20-28 mark, is a potent one. Don’t bank on a high-scoring affair.
MONDAY MLB FREE PICK: PADRES/CARDINALS UNDER 9 RUNS