Cardinals at Reds Preview: After a wild Opening Day game on Thursday, the St. Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds will meet up against on Saturday. St. Louis won the opener by a score of 11-6, but this game was actually much closer than the final score suggests.
St. Louis scored six runs in the first inning, and that offense looked terrific to begin the season. The Cardinals are the betting favorite to win the National League Central this season, but there are a number of teams expected to compete.
Cincinnati is hoping to challenge for the NL Central crown this season, and this team feels it has the pieces in place to do so. The Reds were able to battle back after a rough start on Thursday, but they need a better performance for nine innings on Saturday.
The Cincinnati Reds are -111 against the St. Louis Cardinals in game two of the series and of the regular season.
Cardinals at Reds Preview and Pick: Cards Lineup is Scary
The St. Louis Cardinals could have one of the best offenses in baseball this season, and that talent was on full display in the season opener. The addition of Nolan Arenado gives St. Louis another big bat in the lineup, but they also have a rookie that can do some damage.
Dylan Carlson blasted a three-run homer in his first at bat of the season on Thursday, and he could be in for a monster season. Most MLB experts believe that he is the front runner to win NL Rookie of the Year, and his campaign got off to a great start.
The Cardinals will send Adam Wainwright to the mound on Saturday, and they are looking for a better pitching performance. St. Louis can’t expect to give up six runs per game and be successful this season.
It was only one game on Thursday, but St. Louis made a major statement and put the rest of the NL Central Division on notice.
Cardinals at Reds Preview and Pick: Reds Really Need Pitching
The Cincinnati Reds are going to score runs this season, but pitching could be a major issue. Ace Luis Castillo gave up six early runs against the Cardinals, and Cincinnati is counting on him to have a season worthy of Cy Young contention.
Tyler Mahle makes the start for the Reds on Saturday, and he will attack the Cardinals hitters in a completely different way. Mahle needs to go deep in this game as the Reds do not have a very solid bullpen.
Nick Castellanos belted a home run in the loss on Thursday, and the Reds should be able to provide plenty of power this season. If Cincinnati is not able to get better pitching as the season moves along, the Reds will simply try to outslug opponents.
Cardinals at Reds Preview and Pick: Wainwright Wins it For St. Louis
The first game of this series featured a pair of Cy Young hopefuls, but both pitchers really struggled. Don’t expect a similar game on Saturday as the offenses aren’t going to combine for 17 runs again.
Adam Wainwright just continues to pitch really well in a Cardinals uniform, and he still has the stuff to shut down an opposing lineup. The Reds have the ability to put some runs on the board, but that offense wills struggle against the veteran hurler.
Don’t expect the Cardinals to put up 11 runs again on Saturday, but they will get just enough to support Wainwright in the win.
The odds might say that the Cincinnati Reds are the favorite in this game, but that’s not how it will play out on the field. Bet the St. Louis Cardinals over the Cincinnati Reds in this huge rivalry game over the Cincinnati Reds.
Final Score:
- Cardinals 4
- Reds 2
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