Nationals’ Scherzer to finally conquer Cards?
Max Scherzer doesn’t usually delight in facing his hometown team. Now that Washington’s back to driving the baseball, though, the time seems ripe for a breakthrough at Busch Stadium.
The Nationals enter today’s matchup vs. St. Louis in search of their first three-game sweep in the Gateway City since 1986 – when the franchise was based in Montreal. It’s an intriguing mound battle beginning at 2:15 p.m. ET, with the host squad still currying favor with oddsmakers at online sports book Bovada.lv. The over/under, meanwhile, rests at seven runs.
In the midst of a mechanical funk, Scherzer (2-1, 4.35 ERA) will nonetheless shoot to reverse a troubling track record against the organization for which he grew up rooting. The righty is 0-2 with a 3.52 ERA in four turns vs. the Cardinals (12-12). Scherzer surrendered two runs and 11 hits over six frames while fanning 10 in his lone start in the Lou, a 4-3 Washington win back on Sept. 2.
His comrades, though, yearn to finally put the 31-year-old in the W column. After nipping the Cards in the series opener, 5-4, the Nats notched a fairly easy 6-1 victory last night. Outfielder Jayson Werth homered in the first to set the tone and ultimately drove in four runs.
MLB Quick Links: Free Matchup Reports | Injuries | Odds Comparison | Scoreboard | Betting Trends
It’s hard to quibble with anything that Dusty Baker’s squad is doing, particularly since that brief offensive lull vs. Philadelphia now seems like a distant memory. But can this 16-7 group flummox St. Louis righty Carlos Martinez (4-0, 1.93)? He’s coming off a start in which he twirled eight scoreless frames in Arizona. We expect runs to once again be at a premium in a riveting matinee affair.
SUNDAY MLB FREE PICK: NATIONALS/CARDINALS UNDER 7 RUNS
Want More Picks, Predictions & Odds From The Spread.com? Follow on Twitter and Facebook or Subscribe to Our News Feeds!