The St. Louis Cardinals will host the Cincinnati Reds for a three-game series beginning tonight at Busch Stadium with time of first pitch set for 8 p.m. ET. The Reds will pin their hopes on the pitching of struggling right hander Bronson Arroyo (0-3, 7.56 ERA) while RHP Todd Wellemeyer starts for the Cardinals. Wellmeyer is off to a good start in 2008 with a 2-0 record along with a 3.77 ERA.
Oddsmakers at online sports wagering giant Sportsbook.com currently have the Cardinals listed as 140-moneyline favorites versus the Reds, while the game's total is sitting at 8½.
The Reds defeated San Francisco 10-1 as a -125 favorite on Sunday. The 11 runs scored went OVER the posted over/under total (8.5).
Brandon Phillips was 3-5 with two home runs and three RBI, while Edinson Volquez improved to 4-0 after allowing only one run on five hits, with 10 strikeouts in seven innings.
The Cardinals defeated Houston 5-1 as a -145 favorite on Sunday. The six runs scored fell UNDER the posted over/under total (9).
The Cardinals' rotation has surprised so far, and Todd Wellemeyer has been a big reason why. He has been impressive in his first full season as a starting pitcher. In his last outing, a no decision in Pittsburgh on Wednesday, he tossed six innings and surrendered four runs on seven hits. Despite not having his best stuff he battled and gave the club a chance to win.
Arroyo is off to a rough start to his 2008 season and has yet to pitch six innings. His latest outing came in Wednesday's 9-3 loss to the Astros where he was pummeled for eight earned runs and a season-high 10 hits over 3 2/3 innings. Arroyo and pitching coach Dick Pole have poured over video to see where the right-hander has gone wrong but have yet to come up with any solutions.
The Pick: Cardinals -140 ML
