In the second of a three-game series between the St. Louis Cardinals (28-27) and the San Francisco Giants (35-22) at Busch Stadium, Michael Wacha (2-6, 4.99 ERA) and Jeff Samardzija (7-3, 2.84 ERA) get the ball. The Giants won the last game 5-1, and San Francisco leads the series 1-0. The game gets underway at 7:15 p.m. ET on Saturday, Jun. 4 and will air on FOX.
In his most recent outing, Wacha pitched 6.0 innings, allowing three runs, striking out six and walking one in a 10-2 loss to the Nationals. Matt Carpenter (.272, 37 Rs, 9 HRs, 35 RBIs) continued his strong season yesterday, going 2 for 3 with one run. The Giants were also unsuccessful the last time Samardzija pitched. He did not do well, pitching 5.0 innings, allowing five runs (one unearned), striking out four and walking two in a 5-3 loss to the Braves. Brandon Belt (.304, 27 Rs, 6 HRs, 28 RBIs) went 1 for 4 yesterday with one RBI.
The odds are even for this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is presently unavailable. The most recent 10-game stretch for the Cardinals has gone great. Over that span, St. Louis is averaging 0.0 runs per game, well over their season average of 0.0. The Cardinals rank fifth in the majors in home runs with 72. The most recent 10 game stretch for St. Louis’s pitching staff has gone great. Over that span, St. Louis’s opponents are averaging 0.0 runs per game, below their season average of 0.0.
During the last 10 games, they averaged 0.0 runs per game, above their 0.0 season average. The Giants average 3.8 walks per game, making them one of the most disciplined teams in the NL. San Francisco’s pitching staff has allowed an average of 0.0 runs per game during the last 10 games, lower than their season average of 0.0. They have a WHIP of 1.224 on the year, good for fifth in the league.
The only other game between the two teams went San Francisco’s way.
Predictions: SU Winner – STL
Notes
Having scored one run in their last game, the Cardinals are going to have to step it up if they want to win this matchup. The Giants have a 16-0 record in games where opponents scored one run or less.
It looks like the Giants have a slight leg up on the Cardinals, as the Giants have won their last two games while the Cardinals have lost their last two.
When they outhit their opponents, the Cardinals are 23-4. The Giants have a 25-1 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking 10th, San Francisco sits in the top 10 of the league in runs, scoring 253 this season. St. Louis ranks in the top five at second with 294.
Ranking seventh, St. Louis is in the top 10 of the league in walks, notching 190 this season. San Francisco ranks in the top five at third with 215.
The Cardinals are 23-16 in games where they hit one or more home runs. The Giants are 22-11 when they hit at least one homer.
