PREMIUM
3-Game MLB SWEEPER PASS
(MLB) Philadelphia vs. St. Louis,
Money Line: -141.00 St. Louis (Home)
Result: Win
Money Line: -141.00 St. Louis (Home)
Result: Win
The set-up: The Cards are glad to be back home (ended an 0-7 road trip on Thursday) and it hasn't hurt that they drew the Phillies in this weekend series, a team with MLB's worst record. St. Louis has won the first two games of the series (giving them four wins in a row at home) and the team looks to complete a three-game sweep on Sunday. After eking out a 3-2 win on Friday, it was a 'cake walk' on Saturday, as Carlos Martinez twirled a four-hit shutout to lead St. Louis to a 7-0 win. The Phillies have now dropped four straight following a four-game winning streak that was preceded by a five-game skid. One could say Philadelphia is streaky but then again, the Phillies are mostly just bad, entering Sunday with MLB's worst record (21-39) and its third-worst moneyline mark (minus-$1522).
The pitching matchup: Aaron Nola (3-3 & 4.28 ERA) starts for Philadelphia and Adam Wainwright (6-4 & 4.82 ERA) for St. Louis. Nola had his best outing of the season last Tuesday in Atlanta, striking out six while holding the Braves to one run on five hits over eight innings of a 3-1 win. It was only the third quality start in seven outings this season and snapped a three-game losing streak in which he had posted a 5.63 ERA. Nola did beat the Cardinals in his only previous meeting them, tossing seven scoreless innings back on May 3, 2016. The veteran Wainwright started slowly in 2017 but entered his last start off a dominant stretch in which he had allowed just one run in 26 1/3 innings over four straight wins (0.56 ERA). However, he fell apart last time out, getting ripped for nine runs on seven hits in just 3 2/3 innings of a 13-1 setback at Cincinnati last Tuesday. Wainwright is 6-2 with a 2.85 ERA in 14 games (12 starts / Cards are 8-4) against the Phillies.
The pick: The Phillies are a woeful 9-25 on the road and with back-to-back losses Friday and Saturday, have now lost 10 of their last 12 games at St. Louis (Cards have taken five straight series against the Phillies, overall). Yes, Wainwright was abysmal last Tuesday but note that was his first loss since April 16 and the Cards had won seven of his previous eight starts! Make St. Louis an 8* play.
The pitching matchup: Aaron Nola (3-3 & 4.28 ERA) starts for Philadelphia and Adam Wainwright (6-4 & 4.82 ERA) for St. Louis. Nola had his best outing of the season last Tuesday in Atlanta, striking out six while holding the Braves to one run on five hits over eight innings of a 3-1 win. It was only the third quality start in seven outings this season and snapped a three-game losing streak in which he had posted a 5.63 ERA. Nola did beat the Cardinals in his only previous meeting them, tossing seven scoreless innings back on May 3, 2016. The veteran Wainwright started slowly in 2017 but entered his last start off a dominant stretch in which he had allowed just one run in 26 1/3 innings over four straight wins (0.56 ERA). However, he fell apart last time out, getting ripped for nine runs on seven hits in just 3 2/3 innings of a 13-1 setback at Cincinnati last Tuesday. Wainwright is 6-2 with a 2.85 ERA in 14 games (12 starts / Cards are 8-4) against the Phillies.
The pick: The Phillies are a woeful 9-25 on the road and with back-to-back losses Friday and Saturday, have now lost 10 of their last 12 games at St. Louis (Cards have taken five straight series against the Phillies, overall). Yes, Wainwright was abysmal last Tuesday but note that was his first loss since April 16 and the Cards had won seven of his previous eight starts! Make St. Louis an 8* play.
