This Tuesday the (87-61) St. Louis Cardinals and the (81-66) San Diego Padres will play the first game of this three-game series. The first pitch will be thrown out at 9:40 PM EST inside Petco Park. The last time these two teams matched up, the Cardinals ended up sweeping the Padres in three games.
The St. Louis Cardinals are coming into this one after winning their five-game series against the Cincinnati Reds. The Cardinals struggled at times, but they still looked great on the mound in their three wins. They will need to carry that momentum over into this game.
The San Diego Padres are entering this one after winning their previous four-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Padres also looked outstanding on the mound to close out their series, as they only allowed 1 combined run in the final two games.
This game was written/published before last night's r esults.
The St. Louis Cardinals are in first place in the NL Central, as they have an 8.0 game lead over the Milwaukee Brewers. St. Louis is also 6-4 in their last 10 games played, as they are still holding onto the third seed in the NL Playoff race, as they will need to win their division to hold onto this seed.
At the plate, the Cardinals are scoring 4.88 runs per game and they are hitting .254 as a team. This is the fourth most runs scored per game and the seventh-highest overall team batting average. They have been lethal at the plate this season, as they have consistently reached base and they have been clutch when they have men in scoring position. St. Louis is also hitting 1.25 home runs per game, which is the eighth most in the MLB. They have multiple guys that can change the game with one swing of the bat. I would watch for Paul Goldschmidt at the dish. He has already hit 25 bombs this season, which leads his team. I would also expect the Cardinals to stay aggressive once you reach base safely. They have already stolen 92 bases this season, which is the eighth most in the league.
According to MLB.com, the Cardinals will be starting Adam Wainwright on the mound. He is currently 11-9 with a 3.29 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP. In his last start, he pitched for 5.0 innings and he gave up one earned run, as he made it very difficult for the Brewers at the plate. Wainwright hasn't been great on the road this season, though. He has a 4-6 road record and a 4.31 ERA, as he has struggled at different times this season. The Cardinals bullpen has been solid, as well. They currently have the 12th lowest bullpen ERA in the MLB, as they have been tough to hit this season. As a team, the Cardinals are allowing 3.99 runs per game, which is the ninth least.