Which team’s losing streak is getting extended tonight. The St. Louis Cardinals have lost three straight to get to 44-56 and the Arizona Diamondbacks have lost four in a row to drop to 54-46.
The Cardinals looked like they were getting back into the mix in the NL Central, but that ship has likely sailed. However, the Diamondbacks are just four games back in the NL West and still have a shot at the division.
It’s Game 1 of a three-game series tonight in Arizona, and the Cardinals are bringing back Adam Wainwright from another injury. Wainwright hasn’t pitched since July 4 and is 3-4 in 11 starts with a 7.66 ERA.
He will be opposed by Ryne Nelson who is 6-5 with a 4.82 ERA in 20 starts for Arizona.
Both teams are ice cold, but Vegas thinks St. Louis is colder, and the Cards are underdogs on the road tonight.
Cardinals vs. Diamondbacks odds, run line and total
Cardinals vs. Diamondbacks prediction and pick
It’s Adam Wainwright so I want to keep this respectful, but the guy stinks. He’s the definition of washed up and is literally in the bottom 1% of all MLB pitchers in expected ERA, expected batting average, expected slugging, strikeout rate, whiff rate, and fastball velocity.
It is impossible to be worse than he has been statistically, so there is no way that I can back the Cardinals with washed up Waino on the mound.
The Arizona pitching staff might try to match Wainwright though.
They are 27th in ERA this month with a 5.67, though Nelson has been solid in three of his four starts. The Cardinals picked on some bad teams to get off to a hot start in the second half, but St. Louis is completely out of the race in the NL and will be selling off pieces at the deadline for the first time in a very long time.
The Diamondbacks are not a bad team despite their pitching staff and will pound the Cardinals in Game 1.
I love Arizona tonight, even after losing its last four games. Let’s take the Diamondbacks on the run line because by the time Wainwright exits the game they’ll have such a big lead that even their shaky bullpen won’t be able to screw it up.
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