Holliday-less Cardinals try to fight off Cubs
After their series opener went deep into the night, the Cubs and Cardinals face a quick turnaround this afternoon. But will that actually prevent St. Louis from slipping further back in the NL Central race?
Handicappers don’t seem to think so. According to online sports book Bovada.lv, Chicago symbolizes a 1.5-run favorite entering the 2:20 p.m. ET matinee at Wrigley Field. Mike Matheny’s troops represent +165 underdogs, with the over/under run total coming in at eight.
Thursday’s events were particularly rough on the Redbirds. In addition to falling in extras, 4-3, the visitors witnessed cleanup hitter Matt Holliday sustain a nasty injury. The left fielder had his right thumb fractured by an errant heater from lefty Mike Montgomery in the 10th inning.
Matheny appears likely to plug Randal Grichuk into Holliday’s lineup spot for the foreseeable future. Irrespective of the 24-year-old’s raw power, though, it’s another potentially big concern for a club that currently sits 13 games behind the first-place Cubs. Adam Wainwright (9-6, 4.34 ERA) is hopeful of eating into said deficit in a short while. Yet his last Windy City outing of at least seven frames happened back on Sept. 22, 2014.
MLB Quick Links: Scores & Matchups | Injuries | Odds Comparison | Betting Trends | ATS Stats
His counterpart, Jake Arrieta, can’t get enough of the Friendly Confines. He’s 22-10 with a 0.90 WHIP in 43 lifetime starts there. The senior circuit’s reigning Cy Young Award winner also tussled with the Cards on May 25 and June 22, going 1-1 with a 4.50 ERA.
St. Louis desperately needs a jolt of energy. Of course, Chicago hasn’t lost since July 30. Expect Joe Maddon’s crew to widen that gap even more.
FRIDAY MLB FREE PICK: CARDINALS/CUBS OVER 8 RUNS