The Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals will open up a three-game series on Monday at Busch Stadium. St. Louis, after losing the first game of their weekend series against the Nationals, won the last two. The Cardinals still remain in last place in the National League Central, with a 40-53 record on the season. The Marlins are coming into the series fresh off three losses in a row at Baltimore. The Orioles blanked the Marlins on Sunday. Miami is now 53-42 on the season but still remains in second place in the National League East.
St. Louis is a small favorite in this one. The Cardinals are -115, and Miami is -105.
Marlins Seeking Bounce Back
The Marlins had a tough weekend in Baltimore, scoring just 11 total runs in the sweep. Miami is going through a tough stretch, where they have scored just 14 runs in their last 5 losses combined. On the season, the Marlins are hitting .265, which is the third-best in all of Major League Baseball.
Luis Arraez is the top hitter in the National League. This is coming one season after he won the batting title in the American League with the Twins a season ago. Arraez is hitting .380 on the season. Jorge Soler is the power supply for Miami. The designated hitter has pummeled 24 home runs and drove in 52 runs, both team highs.
Jesus Luzardo is slated to pitch for the Marlins in this game. Luzardo has been strong for the Marlins this season with 129 strikeouts in 109 innings pitched. He sits with an 8-5 record on the season and a 3.29 earned run average. Luzardo has not pitched since July 9th, when he picked up a win against the Phillies.
St. Louis Seeking Second Half Surge
The St. Louis Cardinals have had a tough 2023, but four wins in their last five games have them a little more upbeat. The Cardinals still sit 11.5 games out of first place in the division. St. Louis is averaging 6 runs per game over their last 6. The Cardinals’ offense has moved to 11th in runs and 12th in batting average. Alec Burleson and Nolan Arenado both hit home runs in Saturday night’s win.
The pitching has been the issue for St. Louis. The Cardinals are 24th in team ERA and 25th in quality starts, while opponents are hitting .273 against them. St. Louis has also allowed the most home runs in all of baseball.
Miles Mikolas is going to get the ball on Monday. Mikolas had his outing cut short on Saturday due to rain. Mikolas is 5-5 on the season with a 4.12 earned run average. The righthander from Jupiter, Florida, went 6.1 innings and allowed 4 runs before the break at the Marlins.
Cardinals Keep Streak Alive
The only chance the St. Louis Cardinals have to reach the postseason is to win a bunch of baseball games in a row. The Marlins have had the better season, but the Cardinals have the better overall talent. St. Louis wins this game and keeps the winning streak alive. Take the Cardinals -115 over the Marlins on Monday.
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