The MLB weekend kicks off on Friday with an interleague matchup between the New York Yankees and the St. Louis Cardinals, being one of the most intriguing matchups on the schedule.
On the road, the Yankees are favored with a -150 moneyline while the Cardinals have a +130 moneyline. The game also has an over/under of 8.5 runs.
The Cardinals enter the weekend series fresh off a doubleheader sweep of the Cubs on Thursday. St. Louis has now won four in a row and six of its last seven games. That has brought the Cardinals into a tie with the Brewers atop the NL Central standings.
Of course, the Yankees have long been at the top of the AL East standings, holding a 10.5-game lead. However, the Yankees have not been themselves lately, just dropping two of three games to the Mariners at home. Since the all-star break, they are just 6-8 and barely ahead of Houston for the best record in the big leagues.
Calling the Lefty
Nestor Cortes will get the ball for the Yankees on Friday as he aims for his 10th win of the season. In his 19 starts, Cortes is 9-3 with a 2.53 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP, earning him a spot in the All-Star Game.
Despite a few hiccups in late June and early July, Cortes has gotten back on track lately, giving up just three runs on 15 hits over his last three starts, covering 18 innings during that stretch.
Meanwhile, the Yankees are usually a safe bet to provide good support for their pitchers. Despite being 3-3 in their last six games, the Yankees are averaging 6.8 runs per game during that stretch.
The problem is that large chunks of the lineup have fallen into a slump over the last week, leaving Aaron Judge and the red-hot D.J. LeMahieu and Anthony Rizzo to carry the lineup.
Dakota Dealing
The Cardinals will counter New York’s lineup with Dakota Hudson, who will make his 20th start of the season. In his first 19 starts, Hudson is 6-6 with a 4.10 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP, serving as a solid back-end starter in the St. Louis rotation.
However, Hudson wasn’t at his best in July, posting a 5.14 ERA over four starts, with the Cardinals losing all four of those games.
The good news is the St. Louis lineup hasn’t gotten on track recently, averaging 5.7 runs per game over their last seven games. Obviously, Paul Goldschmidt has been getting the job done all season and remains the frontrunner for MVP in the National League.
At the same time, Nolan Arenado, Nolan Gorman, and Lars Nootbaar have all heated up as well, giving the Cards a deep and formidable lineup.
Bird Call
The Yankees will almost always be in a good position to win with their lineup and Cortes on the mound. But their recent struggles make them a little vulnerable right now, especially on the road against a red-hot St. Louis team.
This game is the perfect opportunity to take a chance on an underdog, so bet on the Cardinals to win on Friday.
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