MLB Pick: Phillies vs. Cardinals
Philadelphia Phillies (45-28) vs. St. Louis Cardinals (40-33) MLB Betting Lines
Moneyline: Phillies (-145) Cardinals (+135)
Over/Under: 7.5
Starting Pitchers: Phillies (Lee) vs. Cardinals (Lohse)
The Philadelphia Phillies have gotten healthy and they now have the best record in baseball. It should come as no surprise that the Phillies have already racked up 45 wins. This is a Philadelphia team that is loaded across the board. The St. Louis Cardinals have cooled off of late, and the recent news that Albert Pujols will miss four to six weeks with a fractured arm certainly won’t help anything. ESPN will have coverage of this interesting matchup at Busch Stadium.
Cliff Lee was a little bit off his game in the first month or two of the year, but he has been absolutely stellar of late. Lee has allowed just one run in his last three starts. During the process, he has lowered his season ERA to 3.12. He continues to dominate because of his amazing command and his ability to change speeds. The Phillies offense has gotten a huge boost from a healthy Chase Utley and Shane Victorino in the last few games. With a lineup containing Utley, Howard, Victorino, Polanco, and Rollins, the Phillies are sure to be one of the best offenses in the National League this year.
St. Louis had the best team batting average up until a couple weeks ago when they started having quite a bit of injury problems. Matt Holliday missed some time and now it is Albert Pujols and Allen Craig on the disabled list. The Cardinals are still second in the majors in batting average at .270, but I wouldn’t be surprised if that drops some over the next few weeks. St. Louis has played pretty well this year, but they need to improve defensively. The Cardinals have committed 49 errors already this year. Kyle Lohse has had a great 2011, but he has been shaky in his last three outings.
Despite the fact that the Phillies are the best team in the National League right now, I believe there is some value on the Cardinals here. St. Louis is a tough team to beat at Busch Stadium, and Kyle Lohse is very good at home. The Cardinals are 5-1 in their last 6 meetings with the Phillies at home.
MLB Free Pick: Cardinals ML
Kyle Hunter
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