Cardinals at Phillies MLB Picks – May 4, 2010: The best two teams in the National League, St. Louis Cardinals (18-8) and Philadelphia Phillies (14-11) will play the second of a four games series today (7:05 pm Eastern) at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.
Getting the pitching start for the visiting Cardinals is righthander Adam wainwright who leads the Cardinals staff with a 4-1 w-l record, and 2.13 ERA. The Phillies will counter with the south-paw Cole Hamels who is 2-2 this season to go along with a 5.28 ERA.
MLB oddsmakers list this game as a virtual pick with the Cardinals and Wainwright as slight favorites at -115 SU money line odds as compared to the Phillies giving -105. The total is currently holding at 8 1/2. Run line odds are – Phillies (-1 1/2) -175 and Cardinals (+1 1/2) +155.
Over Wainwright's last 32 starts, dating back to mid-May of last season, he's 20-8 with a 2.23 ERA, 209 strikeouts, 53 walks and 13 home runs allowed in 229 2/3 innings. Wainwright has held his own nicely at Citizens Bank Park, with eight shutout innings over two career appearances (one start).
Hamels is coming off another so-so outing against San Francisco, in which he struck out a season-high 10, but allowed another four earned runs in six innings with four walks and nine hits. His velocity worked its way up to 93, which is a good sign for the Phillies left-hander. But April wasn't a strong month, and Hamels carries a 5.28 ERA and 1.47 WHIP into his first start in May. The Phillies may bump Hamels to Tuesday if they decide to activate Joe Blanton off the 15-day disabled list to start Monday. That would split up the left-handers Hamels and Jamie Moyer in the Phils' rotation.
In Monday's series opener, the Cardinals bats came alive, propelling the Cardinals to a 6-3 victory. Jamie Garcia pitched six innings for the win, improving to 3-1 with a 1.12 ERA. The 9.0 runs scored fell UNDER the posted total of 9.5.
Nick Stavinoha hit a timely pinch-hit home run off Phillies starter Joe Blanton that got the Cardinals the lead in the seventh inning. David Freese added a bases-loaded double and the Cardinals took the lead in the series.
MLB Picks: Go with the best pitcher – Wainwright – for tonight's game. St. Louis (-115).
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