MLB Lines – Bucks vs Cards
You have to love a series between teams that are a half-game apart in the same division. Pittsburgh and St. Louis are currently scrapping it out for second place in the NL Central, fighting for the distinction of being in pole position to chase the upstart Milwaukee Brewers.
Date/Time: Tuesday, July 8 2014, 8:05 EST
Venue: Busch Stadium, St. Louis MO
Pittsburgh +105, St. Louis -125
Over/Under: 7.5
Pitching Match-up: Vance Worley (2-1, 2.28 ERA) vs. Carlos Martinez (2-3, 3.91 ERA)
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The Cardinals (48-42) have the upper hand after a narrow 2-0 victory on Monday night. It took a walk-off homer from 1B Matt Adams to get the job done. They’ll be stretching out young prospect Carlos Martinez on the mound, taking a promising relief pitcher and grooming him to be a key element of the Cards’ starting rotation moving forward.
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The Boys from Steeltown (47-42) sit only a half-game behind those pesky Red Birds and have been in the best form of any team in the Central of late. The Pirates are 7-3 over their last ten ballgames. These two clubs help make the Central one of the more competitive divisions in the league, with every team except the Chicago Cubs still in the mix.
If Pittsburgh is going to acquit itself in this series, it’ll have to find some offense. The Bucs couldn’t get anything going against Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright yesterday evening; hopefully standout OF Andrew McCutchen isn’t already thinking about the Midsummer Classic.
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The good news for the Pirates is that they’re ranked first in the Majors in on-base percentage (a team .334 mark) and it’s that kind of fundamental, ticky-tack baseball that can make inroads against a good team like St. Louis.
More good vibes for the Pirates involve who they roll out on the mound Tuesday night. Vance Worley came over from cross-state rival Philadelphia recently and he’s been on form, carrying a 2.28 ERA and a tiny 0.94 WHIP into tonight’s action.
If Worley continues to pitch like that, St. Louis will be hard-pressed to score runs.
This is an impactful series before the All-Star Break because both clubs are within striking distance of Milwaukee in the second half. Jockeying for second and third is as much about mindset at this point of a marathon regular season – but divisional games are where the big swings occur in a hurry.
To ensure success, Pittsburgh needs someone other than McCutchen to do a job with the bat on Tuesday night. Second baseman Neil Walker or slugging (but strikeout-prone) 3B Pedro Alvarez are prime candidates to help out the Pirates centerfielder. McCutchen leads the team in every offensive category as it stands.
It’s great having a world-class talent like McCutchen, but you don’t want to put all your eggs in one basket, either.
The Red Birds haven’t been particularly adept at offense since Albert Pujols and David Freese left town, but they are so good at just finding a way to win. Much of that has to do with the team’s skill (and luck) at producing excellent young starting pitching. One such young starter, Michael Wacha, is currently laid up on the DL, so the Cards must adapt without him and without scoring a bunch.
I like Pittsburgh’s chances to claw their way back in this series and earn a win in the Gateway to the West.
Pittsburgh 5, St. Louis 4
Take the OVER
