Stephen Strasburg (3-0, 2.17 ERA) takes the hill for the Washington Nationals (14-7) as they square off against Mike Leake (0-2, 5.64 ERA) and the St. Louis Cardinals (12-10) in the first of a three-game series at Busch Stadium. Action begins at 8:15 p.m. ET on Friday, Apr. 29 and can be seen on MAS2 and FSMW.
Leake pitched 5.0 innings in his most recent start, surrendering five runs (two unearned), striking out four and walking two in an 8-5 win over the Padres. Strasburg went 7.1 innings, surrendering four runs and striking out 10 in a 6-5 win over the Twins in his last outing. Bryce Harper (.314, 15 Rs, 9 HRs, 24 RBIs, 5 SBs) went 1 for 4 yesterday with one stolen base.
The odds for St. Louis and Washington are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is currently unavailable. The Cardinals have seen an uptick in scoring as of late, averaging 0.0 runs during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 0.0 runs per game. The Cardinals are one of the best in the MLB in terms of home runs with 33. St. Louis is one of the best in the NL in terms of walks, earning an average of 3.9 per game. St. Louis’s pitching staff has been doing better against opposing offenses during the last 10 games, only allowing an average of 0.0 runs per game, well under their season average of 0.0.
Offensively, the Nationals have really picked up the pace in the last 10 games. They have exceeded their season average of 0.0 runs per game by averaging 0.0 during that stretch. The Nationals allow 0.0 runs per game, but have improved upon those numbers in the past 10 games, allowing 0.0 runs per game during that span. When it comes to preventing batters from getting on base, the Nationals are one of the best in the league with a WHIP of 1.068 for the season.
Predictions: SU Winner – STL
Notes
The Cardinals didn’t score any runs in their last game. The Nationals have a 3-0 record when they don’t allow any runs.
When they are outhit, the Nationals are 1-6. The Cardinals have a 2-9 record when opponents outhit them.
Ranking 13th in home runs, Washington has hit 23 this season. St. Louis ranks second with 33 home runs.
Ranking 24th, Washington is near the bottom of the league in hits, notching 7.81 per game. St. Louis ranks in the top five at second with 10.05.
Ranking 21st, Washington is near the bottom of the league for its on-base plus slugging percentage (.698). St. Louis ranks in the top five at fourth with an OPS of .847.
The Nationals are 7-5 when they allow at least one home run. The Cardinals perform similarly when they allow one or more homers with a 7-6 record.
