The majors-best and playoff-bound St. Louis Cardinals (96-56) will be in action this Thursday night, as they play host to their division rivals, Milwaukee Brewers (64-88), for the first showdown of their four-game set at Busch Stadium. The Cards’ will be relying on ace pitcher Michael Wacha to lead them on the mound, while the Brewers will be countering with their rookie in Tyler Jungmann.
Which team draws first blood in this series? Read on below for a detailed breakdown of this exciting NL Central matchup. And while you’re at it, check out as well our preview of the White Sox vs. Yankees clash.
[sc:MLBArticles ]Milwaukee Brewers vs. St. Louis Cardinals Preview
Where: Busch Stadium, St. Louis, Missouri
When: Thursday, September 24, 7:15 PM ET
Line: Milwaukee Brewers (+170) vs. St. Louis Cardinals (-200); Total: 7.5 —View all MLB Lines
Betting on the Milwaukee Brewers
It’s been a pretty rough 2015 campaign for the Milwaukee Brewers, who’ll be missing the playoffs for the fourth consecutive time. But at least, it’s not too late for the Brewers to end the current season on a good note. A win tonight in their series opener versus the No. 1 team in the majors right now—St. Louis. Cardinals—is definitely a good start in doing so.
[sc:MLB240banner ]Toeing the rubber for the Brewers will be Tyler Jungmann (9-6, 3.31 ERA), who has been flat out horrible in his previous three turns. In that stretch, the 25-year-old rookie has surrendered 15 earned runs and 19 hits throughout 14 2/3 innings of work.
Furthermore, it seems like Jungmann is bound for another long night at Busch Stadium, as he’s struggled during road games this season, holding a 4-4 record with a 4.32 ERA and 1.25 WHIP. This game also marks his first ever career start opposite the Cardinals.
With Jungmann’s pitching woes likely to continue, the Brewers have no choice but to compensate for this on offense. The onus is certainly on first baseman Adam Lind to spark up the plate for his team. Lind leads the team in batting average (.289), RBIs (86) and OBP (.372) this year but has yet to face off with the Cards’ starter, Michael Wacha, throughout his 10 years in the league.
Milwaukee is 3-5 in Jungmann’s last eight starts.
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Betting on the St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals have been taking care of things lately, winning eight of their last 10 games and is currently on a four-game winning streak. As a result, the Cards’ have clinched a postseason spot for the fifth-straight season and hold a 4.5-game lead over the Pirates for the division championship. They’ll look to strengthen their advantage even further when they open up a four-game series with the Milwaukee Brewers this evening.
Getting the nod for the Cards is their ace in Michael Wacha, who is 16-6 with a 3.08 ERA. Wacha has been pitching extremely well all year long; however, he’s had a dip in his performance during his last three starts. Over that stretch, the 24-year-old righty has allowed 12 earned runs on 15 hits and 11 walks through 15 innings.
Despite this though, it’s safe to say that Wacha is on track to find his groove back opposite the Brewers later, as he is 6-3 with a respectable 3.03 ERA, a 1.16 WHIP and a .228 opponents’ batting average across 12 home starts.
As for the offense, expect the hard-hitting duo of Jason Heyward and Matt Carpenter to deliver the goods at the plate. Heyward, the Cards’ best batter (.288), has had a lot of success in home games, owning a solid triple-slash line of .307/.383/.443 at Busch Stadium. Carpenter, meanwhile, holds a team-best of 24 home runs and 77 RBIs this season.
St. Louis is 3-2 in Wacha’s previous five home starts.
Writer’s Prediction:
St. Louis (-200) wins, 6-1, thanks to a big time performance from Wacha.
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