Lucroy to lift Brewers past Cardinals?
Mike Leake has been exceedingly sharp in May, but he’s still searching for a way to upend a very unexpected antagonist in Milwaukee.
The St. Louis righty aims to snap a four-start winless stretch against the organization tonight, with an 8:10 p.m. ET first pitch at Miller Park. Handicappers at online sports book Bovada.lv like the Cardinals as 1.5-run favorites, whereas the Brewers enter as +141 underdogs. The over/under run total holds steady at nine.
Roughly 27 hours after Carlos Martinez fanned eight across eight dominant innings, Leake (3-4, 3.90 ERA) takes the hill in an effort to beat Craig Counsell’s team for the first time since June 15, 2014. The San Diego native carries a 5.59 ERA over his past five meetings with the Brew Crew. Here, he must pay special attention to catcher Jonathan Lucroy. The former All-Star is a ridiculous 15 for 32 with a homer off Leake.
Dingers have been a driving force behind St. Louis’ (27-25) offensive assault to begin the season. The Redbirds rank third in the majors with 70 clouts. Matt Holliday cranked a 466-foot shot in yesterday’s series opener, while leadoff man Matt Carpenter smacked a pair of doubles. In other words, Milwaukee hurler Wily Peralta (3-5, 6.62) should worry a little.
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Despite Lucroy’s recent tear at the dish, the Brewers (23-28) desperately need Ryan Braun (neck) to return to the lineup. If the 2011 NL MVP feels well enough to confront Leake this evening, maybe we’re discussing a compelling middle contest. Odds are, however, the Cards will run wild again.
TUESDAY MLB FREE PICK: CARDINALS/BREWERS OVER 9 RUNS
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