I've been in the game for a while and I'll tell you this, there's no such thing as a surefire win — so don't come crying to me if you lose your shirt over this. Still interested? Alrighty then, let's talk Cardinals and Blue Jays.
St. Louis is marching in with Miles Mikolas flexing his arm on the mound: a 5.70 ERA and 1.34 WHIP in 29 appearances, not exactly the stuff dreams are made of. On the Blue Jays' side, it's Yariel Rodriguez with a slightly more respectable 4.66 ERA and 1.39 WHIP in 18 games. But remember, numbers aren't the whole story -- unless we're talking bank accounts- and don't even get me started on mine.
If your eyes haven't glazed over yet, let's move on to our star players. For the Cardinals, it's likes of Paul Goldschmidt, Lars Nootbaar, and a man named Pedro Pages - sounding less like a baseball team and more like a Eurovision song contest, wouldn't you agree? The Jays, on the other hand, have Nathan Lukes, Spencer Horwitz, and Addison Barger, who frankly, sound like a trio of butlers from a British drama.
Don't believe in home-field advantage? Well, you should. The Rogers Centre in Toronto can be a tricky park for pitchers, something both teams will have to keep in mind. Walk in the park? More like walk in the runs.
Looking at past matchups, let's just say these two have passed notes before — the Jays came out swinging in the last couple of meetings, but I wouldn't put too much money on history repeating unless you can see into the future. If so, call me.
Now, let's glance at the regular season records - St. Louis Cardinals are at a comfy 74-74, a .500 record like a piece of perfectly toast. The Toronto Blue Jays, on the other hand, are skidding with 71-78. But hey, I've seen sorrier records make comebacks. That's why we play the game, right?
The Cardinals have had hot bats recently, minus their little fender bender with the Blue Jays, but with the Jays riding a bit of a winning wave, it might be their time to shine.
So, now that I've patted you on the head with all the stats, let's get down to my prediction. I know you've been waiting with bated breath or maybe just yawning.
Albert’s Prediction: Toronto Blue Jays by 2