The St. Louis Cardinals are desperate to end their three-game losing streak, although that won’t be easy on Tuesday when they continue their series with the Los Angeles Dodgers. At home, the Dodgers are big favorites with a moneyline of -210. Meanwhile, the Cardinals have a moneyline of +175.
While many regard the Dodgers as the most talented team in baseball, they remain behind the Giants in the NL West. After dropping two of three against San Francisco last weekend, the Dodgers are a game behind the Giants. But while a Wild Card spot is all but guaranteed, Los Angeles will push hard down the stretch to win the division.
Meanwhile, Monday’s loss to the Dodgers dropped the Cardinals 3.5 games back in the Wild Card race. The Wild Card has become the only hope that St. Louis has of reaching the postseason. Naturally, going 2-4 to start off the month of September isn’t what the doctor ordered for the Cards or their playoff hopes.
A Happy-y Man
Veteran J. A. Happ will do his best to get the Cards back on track when he faces the Dodgers on Monday. Happ had a dreadful season with the Twins but has pitched better since coming to St. Louis at the trade deadline. Over his six starts with the Cards, Happ is 3-1 with a 4.30 ERA, which is an improvement from the 6.77 ERA he had at the time of the trade.
Of course, facing the Los Angeles lineup is not what Happ wants to do right now, even if the Dodgers have been a little sluggish lately. The Los Angeles lineup is far from clicking on all cylinders right now, although the Dodgers have scored at least four runs in four of their last five games. Corea Seager and Trea Turner have stepped up lately to lead the LA lineup, and with so much depth, there is usually a few key players who can carry the offense for the Dodgers.
Mystery Man
With the Dodgers dealing with absences to their starting rotation, Mitch White will get the start on Tuesday. The 26-year-old has pitched to a 3.49 ERA this season, although that’s been mostly pitching out of the bullpen. In his three starts this season, White has covered just 11 innings while going 0-2 with a 5.73 ERA.
The Cardinals will be hoping that they can get their offense going against White and the Los Angeles bullpen. However, the St. Louis lineup is far from reliable, scoring two runs or less in three of its last six games. While Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado are both coming on strong at the right time, the Cardinals remain prone to subpar offensive performances.
Now Is the Time
If ever there was a time to bet against the favored Dodgers, this might be it. The LA lineup has been good but not great lately, while there is tons of uncertainty over what the Dodgers will get from White against a capable St. Louis lineup. While the Cardinals aren’t always a great bet, this is a good opportunity to take a chance on them beating the Dodgers on Tuesday.
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