After losing two straight series, the St Louis Cardinals (26-20) got a needed boost by taking two-of-three from the Tampa Bay Rays in the first weekend of inter-league play. The Cardinals get back to league action Monday night as they travel to play the reeling San Diego Padres (16-29), owners of the worst record in MLB. It was Cy Young Award winner Jake Peavy’s turn in the Padres rotation for Monday but will miss this start due to discomfort in his throwing elbow. Left hand middle reliever Wilfredo Ledezma (0-0, 2.63 ERA) will get the start in Peavy’s place. Right hander Todd Wellemeyer (4-1, 3.27 ERA) gets the start for the Cardinals.
Oddsmakers at online sports betting giant Bodoglife.com currently have the Cardinals listed as 119-moneyline favorites versus the Padres, while the game's total is sitting at 8.
Wellemeyer has been one of the Cardinals' two best starting pitchers this year. The right-hander has solved his biggest problem from the early going, which was the long ball. Wellemeyer gone four straight starts without allowing a home run. He is one of the great stories of the season so far, and the peripheral numbers indicate that he's got a chance to keep it up.
Ledezma has a 15-20 career won-loss record with a 5.09 ERA. Ledezma has pitched 330.2 innings, striking out 214 and has allowed 152 walks. He has seen limited action in 2008 with only 24 innings pitched, nine of those at Petco Park.
The Cardinals defeated Tampa Bay 5-4 as a +105 underdog on Sunday. The nine runs scored caused this game to be a PUSH on the posted over/under total (9).
Skip Schumaker delivered an RBI double in the bottom of the ninth inning for St. Louis, while Aaron Miles drove in a pair of runs in the win.
The Padres lost to Seattle 3-2 as a +160 underdog on Sunday. The five runs scored fell UNDER the posted over/under total (8.5).
Shawn Estes gave up only one run on two hits in six 1-3 innings for San Diego and Adrian Gonzalez hit a two-run home run.
Point-Spreads.com MLB Picks: Cardinals -119
