Cardinals to make matters worse for Angels?
If Adam Wainwright thinks he has problems, the Cardinals’ ace could gain perspective from taking a look at the Angels.
He’ll actually do just that – and perhaps twist the knife even further – tonight. The two teams square off in the finale of a three-game set, with a 10:05 p.m. ET first pitch in California. Online sports book BetDSI thinks the Redbirds will complete the sweep, listing them as 1.5-run favorites. Host Los Angeles enters as a +117 underdog.
The visitors weren’t quite as merciless on Wednesday as in the series opener. Still, Mike Matheny’s band of sluggers claimed a 5-2 victory, inflicting the bulk of the damage in a four-run second inning. Mike Leake then handled his business on the mound to secure win No. 1 as a Redbird.
Wainwright’s (2-3, 6.30 ERA) actually taken his last two decisions, even though he continues to hardly resemble the staff ace of seasons past. There’s a definite opportunity to motor in the right direction here, though, as the Halos are mired in a five-game losing streak. Mike Scioscia’s squad has totaled eight runs and hit .197 on the current homestand.
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Center fielder Mike Trout (.303 average with seven bombs and 23 RBIs), of course, remains peerless. Beyond the former American League MVP, though, one wonders how Los Angeles can support Jered Weaver (3-1, 4.72) this evening. In the midst of a somewhat of a career renaissance, the righty permitted one earned run across six innings in Saturday’s 4-2 defeat at the hands of Tampa Bay.
Weaver last tussled with St. Louis in 2013, so with the exception of a few, it’s essentially a brand-new crew of mashers. There’s little reason to think that Stephen Piscotty, Matt Carpenter and the gang will let up in several hours, particularly given a tough series against the talented Dodgers straight ahead. Look for rhe Cards to grab their 10th road triumph in 13 contests.
THURSDAY MLB FREE PICK: CARDINALS -1.5
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