St Louis (71-57) at Colorado (69-57)
When: Friday, August 24th 2018
Where: Coors Field, Denver, CO
Time: 8:40 ET | TV: FS Midwest,
AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain
Opening Odds: Colorado -108/10.5
The two current National League Wild Card leaders – the St. Louis Cardinals and Colorado Rockies – will begin a pivotal three-game series at Coors Field on Friday night, but both clubs have their sites set a little higher. St. Louis is coming off an impressive three-game road sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers and have won 13 of its last 15 to move atop the wild-card chase and into second place in the NL Central – three games behind the Chicago Cubs. Cardinals shortstop Paul DeJong delivered a tie-breaking two-run homer in the ninth during Wednesday’s series finale in Los Angeles as St. Louis continues their six-game road trip. The Rockies are coming off an Ian Desmond walk-off two-run blast in the ninth in Thursday’s 4-3 victory over the San Diego Padres. It was the 10th win in 12 games for the Rockies to pull them into a virtual tie for the second wild card with Milwaukee – a half-game behind St. Louis – and one game back of division-leading Arizona in the NL West. The teams have played a couple of two-game series in St. Louis already, with the Cardinals holding a 3-1 edge including a two-game sweep to begin August. The pitching matchup will be the same as it was on August 2nd, when the Cardinals’ Miles Mikolas outdueled Antonio Senzatela. Rockies LF Matt Holliday made his season debut and went 0-for-3 in his first game with Colorado since 2008.
Pitchers: Cardinals – Miles Mikolas (13-3, 2.80 ERA) | Rockies – Antonio Senzatela (4-3, 4.47)
Mikolas continued his break-out season in the majors by winning his fifth consecutive decision Saturday, holding Milwaukee to one run and five hits over six innings. He has allowed two runs or fewer in nine of his last 11 starts including the game against Colorado earlier this month, when he surrendered two runs (one earned) over seven innings.
Senzatela was hit hard by Seattle and Arizona right before and after the All-Star Break to the tune of 10 runs over 11.1 innings, but has bounced back nicely since. He has allowed a combined four runs over his last three starts, including a no-decision against Mikolas and St. Louis when he pitched six innings of one-run ball. Senzatela is 3-0 with a 3.00 ERA in six home appearances (two starts).
Boy, both teams are really hot right now, but I’m giving the edge to Mikolas in this one based on the better overall season, and he beat Senzatela just a few weeks ago. The Cardinals have been true road-warriors lately, winning 10 of their last 11 away from Busch.
Pick: Cardinals -110
BETTING TRENDS:
- Cardinals are 5-0 in their last 5 vs. National League West.
- Cardinals are 5-0 in their last 5 road games vs. a team with a winning record.
- Cardinals are 7-0 in their last 7 road games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Cardinals are 4-0 in their last 4 during game 1 of a series.
- Cardinals are 4-0 in their last 4 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
- Cardinals are 10-1 in their last 11 road games.
- Cardinals are 9-1 in their last 10 vs. a team with a winning record.
- Cardinals are 5-1 in their last 6 games vs. a starter with a WHIP greater than 1.30.
- Cardinals are 9-2 in their last 11 games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Cardinals are 4-1 in their last 5 Friday games.
- Cardinals are 20-6 in their last 26 overall.
- Cardinals are 20-6 in their last 26 games on grass.
- Cardinals are 3-7 in their last 10 games following an off day.
- Cardinals are 6-0 in Mikolas’ last 6 starts following a Quality Start in his last appearance.
- Cardinals are 4-0 in Mikolas’ last 4 starts vs. a team with a winning record.
- Cardinals are 5-0 in Mikolas’ last 5 starts.
- Cardinals are 5-0 in Mikolas’ last 5 starts on grass.
- Cardinals are 4-1 in Mikolas’ last 5 road starts.
- Cardinals are 8-2 in Mikolas’ last 10 starts with 5 days of rest.
- Cardinals are 5-2 in Mikolas’ last 7 starts during game 1 of a series.
- Rockies are 4-0 in their last 4 vs. a team with a winning record.
- Rockies are 4-0 in their last 4 games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Rockies are 9-1 in their last 10 Friday games.
- Rockies are 5-1 in their last 6 overall.
- Rockies are 5-1 in their last 6 games on grass.
- Rockies are 13-3 in their last 16 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
- Rockies are 16-5 in their last 21 home games vs. a team with a winning record.
- Rockies are 21-8 in their last 29 home games.
- Rockies are 10-4 in their last 14 home games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Rockies are 2-6 in their last 8 vs. National League Central.
- Rockies are 6-1 in Senzatela’s last 7 home starts vs. a team with a winning record.
- Rockies are 8-2 in Senzatela’s last 10 home starts.
- Rockies are 1-4 in Senzatela’s last 5 starts vs. National League Central.
- Under is 4-0 in Cardinals last 4 overall.
- Under is 4-0 in Cardinals last 4 road games vs. a team with a winning record.
- Under is 4-0 in Cardinals last 4 on grass.
- Over is 3-0-1 in Cardinals last 4 games vs. a starter with a WHIP greater than 1.30.
- Under is 4-0 in Cardinals last 4 vs. National League West.
- Under is 4-0-1 in Cardinals last 5 games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Under is 4-0 in Cardinals last 4 vs. a team with a winning record.
- Under is 4-1-1 in Cardinals last 6 road games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Under is 4-1 in Cardinals last 5 during game 1 of a series.
- Under is 7-2-1 in Cardinals last 10 road games.
- Over is 8-3 in Cardinals last 11 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
- Over is 15-7-2 in Cardinals last 24 games following an off day.
- Over is 6-1 in Mikolas’ last 7 road starts vs. a team with a winning record.
- Over is 6-2 in Mikolas’ last 8 road starts.
- Under is 4-0 in Rockies last 4 overall.
- Under is 4-0 in Rockies last 4 on grass.
- Under is 4-0 in Rockies last 4 games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Under is 5-1 in Rockies last 6 during game 1 of a series.
- Under is 4-1 in Rockies last 5 games vs. a starter with a WHIP less than 1.15.
- Under is 8-2-1 in Rockies last 11 home games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Under is 7-2 in Rockies last 9 vs. a team with a winning record.
- Under is 20-6-1 in Rockies last 27 home games.
- Under is 38-13-1 in Rockies last 52 home games vs. a team with a winning record.
- Under is 22-8-1 in Rockies last 31 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
- Under is 4-0 in Senzatela’s last 4 starts on grass.
- Under is 4-0 in Senzatela’s last 4 starts overall.
- Under is 4-0 in Senzatela’s last 4 starts vs. a team with a winning record.
- Over is 8-2 in Senzatela’s last 10 starts with 5 days of rest.
- Over is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings.
- Under is 6-2 in the last 8 meetings in Colorado.
- Cardinals are 37-16 in the last 53 meetings.
