A pair of Cy Young Award winners square off in a crucial contest in the National League playoff race at Busch Stadium.
San Francisco Giants at St. Louis Cardinals
San Francisco captured a 6-3 road victory over the Cardinals in the opening game of this three-game series in St. Louis. The Giants are now 9-9 in August after completing a 20-8 July, but the club is happy with its recent results overall. In 83 games of scoring three-or-more runs in a game, the team has produced a 62-20 record (.756), which is the second-best winning percentage in the majors in that particular situation. The club is 3-4 in its current 12-game stretch in which they play against opponents in the heart of the playoff picture. San Francisco has posted a 32-31 record on the road this season, which is the fourth-best mark in the National League behind San Diego, Cincinnati and Florida. The team has compiled a 5-7 record as a road underdog of +125 to +150 this season (-30) and the total is 8-4 O/U in those contests. It’s also important to state the Giants are 12-7 when playing on Saturday (+600).
Continue reading “Saturday MLB Preview – Giants at Cardinals”
Chicago has lost 14 of its last 16 games including a 6-3 defeat in the first game of this three-game series against its main NL Central rival. “We just didn’t hold the game in check,” manager Lou Piniella said. The Cubs are now also 1-7 in their 17-game stretch in which they face teams that either rank first or second in their division. The club is now 12-26 in series openers this season. Offensively, the team is awaiting the return of 3B Aramis Ramirez, who was withheld from Friday’s lineup with a sore left oblique muscle. Chicago has been a road underdog of +200 to +225 just once this year (-100) and three times over the last three seasons (-300). The team is a disappointing 26-33 in day games in 2010 (-1,550) and the total stands at 29-27 O/U in those contests. The Cubs average 4.5 runs and hit for a combined .258 average under the sun.
