Holliday, Cards try to keep rolling in Miami
Between solving usually impenetrable New York closer Jeurys Familia and abusing Miami ace Jose Fernandez, it’s been quite a two-day stretch for the Cardinals.
Manager Mike Matheny hopes his club continues to soar tonight, with a 7:10 p.m. ET first pitch in South Beach. Online sports book currently prefers the Marlins, though, as 1.5-run favorites. St. Louis represents a slight underdog.
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After finishing their three-game set vs. the Mets by tagging Familia for his first blown save in 53 chances, the Redbirds pulled into Florida with the gargantuan challenge of upending Fernandez. Roughly 15 hours ago, that happened. The visitors staved off a late rally to prevail, 5-4, as Miami’s beloved All-Star suffered just his second defeat in 28 career decisions at home. The Cards also got back on the homer train, receiving crucial blasts from Aledmys Diaz and Matt Holliday.
Will the resident sluggers carry that momentum into this evening? Outwardly, Don Mattingly sends a considerably less formidable righty to the hill. Jose Urena, who compiled a 7.52 ERA in 16 relief appearances earlier in the campaign, draws his third start of 2016. Last week, he limited the Mets to one run on four base knocks.
Mike Leake, he of the 1,206 2/3 big-league innings, takes the ball for Matheny. The veteran’s curious, spectacular strikeout spree came to an end in his most recent turn against the Dodgers. Nonetheless, there’s no doubting Leake’s past success in the Sunshine State. The Arizona State product is 3-0 with a 0.44 ERA in three gigs at Marlins Park. In six encounters with the Fish overall, he’s 5-1 with a 1.08 WHIP.
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On the surface, St. Louis actually looks like the sure thing here. We know, however, that Miami won’t relinquish that second wild-card spot without a skirmish. Expect the Cardinals to squeak out a second straight triumph in the 305.
FRIDAY MLB FREE PICK: CARDINALS/MARLINS OVER 7.5 RUNS