The St. Louis Cardinals will host the Boston Red Sox for their series finale this Sunday from Busch Stadium on ESPN. The Cardinals took game two in dramatic fashion in the ninth inning, 4-3.
Cardinals Betting Preview
St. Louis moved to 15-25 after defeating Boston. The Cardinals have shown up at Fenway by stealing the first two contests, and they’ll look to complete the unlikely sweep here. The St. Louis' offense is scoring 4.44 runs per game, while batting .258, with a .328 on-base percentage. The pitching staff carries a 4.64 ERA, with a 1.49 WHIP. Paul Goldschmidt recorded three hits in the game one win, and he’s first on the Cards in batting average (.310) and hits (49). Nolan Gorman has produced a run in three straight games, and he leads the team in homers (9) and RBI (27).
Miles Mikolas (1-1, 5.40 ERA, 41 Ks) will start for St. Louis. The longtime veteran pitcher did well at Wrigley last week, striking out seven in 4.1 innings, while allowing just one run. Mikolas is usually good for a five-inning bout, but this spot in Fenway may fare tough for him. Mikolas has closeted five strikeouts in five of eight starts this season.
Red Sox Betting Preview
Boston moved to 22-16 after taking two of three from Philadelphia. The Red Sox opened the month with six straight wins prior to dropping the series finale to the Phillies, and they’ll look to steal a few games in Atlanta this week. The Boston offense is 5.68 scoring runs per game, while batting .258, with a .340 on-base percentage. The pitching staff carries a 4.89 ERA, with a 1.34 WHIP. Jarren Duran doubled in the win over Atlanta, and he’s first on the team in batting (.372). Rafael Devers leads the Sox in RBI (34), while Alex Verdugo has a hit in six of eight games, and he leads the team with 45 hits and 27 runs.
Corey Kluber (2-4, 6.29 ERA, 28 Ks) will make the start for Boston. The veteran pitcher earned his second victory of the season last time out after going five innings in Philly. Kluber has been hit or miss this season, but he has managed to go at least five innings in each of his last four starts.
St. Louis vs Boston Trends
St. Louis is 17-23 against the spread this season, with a 16-20-1 O/U record. Boston is 22-18 ATS this year, with a 26-13-1 over/under record.
Corey’s Free Pick
Boston has been pushed around by St. Louis this weekend, and while I think they strike back and avoid the brooms, the total could bring more security here. The Cardinals are much better than their record indicates, and they quietly have an advantage with a volatile Miles Mikolas going to the mound, but in return we may see some runs in this primetime spot. Corey Kluber is vulnerable at times himself, so look for the bats to find success in game three and roll with the Over for this interleague clash.
AUTHOR: Corey Ghee
