Will Wacha pitch Cards past Pirates?
Just one game into the season, the Cardinals are already accessing contingency plans.
Defending NL Central champion St. Louis stumbled in its 2016 opener, at Pittsburgh, 4-1, and lost key reserve outfielder Tommy Pham (strained left oblique) in the process. Tonight, Michael Wacha gets his shot at reversing the momentum.
Oddsmakers dig the young righty’s chances of accomplishing precisely that. According to online sports book BetDSI, the Cards are 1.5-run favorites entering the second game of the series.
Wacha went 4-0 with a 1.89 ERA in his first six starts vs. the Pirates. Last Sept. 30, however, Pittsburgh smashed the Texas A&M product for six runs over four innings. Stud center fielder Andrew McCutchen also tallied three extra-base hits against him in 2015.
Pittsburgh’s five-time All-Star had a relatively quiet showing in Sunday’s win, yielding the main stage to new teammate David Freese. The former Redbird lined two big singles off losing hurler Adam Wainwright, who couldn’t get beyond six innings, and Gregory Polanco scored a pair of runs. It was more than enough support for Francisco Liriano, he of the 10-strikeout gem.
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Jonathon Niese possesses an entirely different repertoire on the mound. He’ll try to overcome a rough spring (0-2 with an 8.40 ERA in six starts) and keep Mike Matheny’s club off-balance beginning at 7:05 p.m. ET. Third baseman Matt Carpenter and shortstop Jedd Gyorko, however, should lead a motivated lineup that has had a lot of success in previous meetings with the veteran lefty.
TUESDAY MLB FREE PICK: CARDINALS -1.5
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