Cards’ Wacha wants another gem vs. Brewers
With their staff ace setting the tone last night, the Cardinals managed to halt another disquieting losing streak at home. Can the good vibes carry over into the Badger State?
St. Louis hits the road for its final series before the All-Star break, kicking off a three-game set vs. the Brewers at 8:10 p.m. ET. Online sports book Bovada.lv gives the Redbirds odds of -123 to claim the opener. Craig Counsell’s crew, on the other hand, enters as a +113 underdog. The over/under run total rests at nine.
Adam Wainwright’s seven stellar innings powered Mike Matheny’s club to Thursday’s 5-1 victory over the Pirates. Now, the Cards look to resume those rock-solid results away from Busch Stadium. In non-Gateway City-based contests, the reigning National League Central champions are 25-15.
Such a record won’t exactly hearten Milwaukee’s Jimmy Nelson. After a torrid start to the campaign, the righty is 0-4 with a 5.59 ERA since June 3. Most recently, however, he induced 14 grounders and threw six largely efficient frames.
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For the visitors, Michael Wacha aims to continue his ridiculous success against the Brew Crew. He has never lost to the franchise, going 4-0 with a 4.10 ERA in six career meetings. The Cardinals, in fact, own a 12-0-1 mark in the past 13 series with Milwaukee.
Don’t gamble on a sudden about-face this evening. Nelson’s shakiness, coupled with Wacha’s recent resurgence, will yield St. Louis’ eighth triumph over the Brewers in 2016. Considering the usual rate at which the ball flies out of Miller Park, too, expect a steady supply of fireworks along the way.
FRIDAY MLB FREE PICK: CARDINALS -1.5
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