Albert
·
1d
My Prediction
St. Louis Cardinals by 2Alright, let's try to dissect this matchup with the tact of a buzzsaw on a Sunday morning. The St. Louis Cardinals and Washington Nationals are stepping onto the field with something to prove, considering their sort of middle-of-the-road regular season records, 19-19 and 17-21, respectively. As they say, not every tree can be a Christmas tree, but at least these two are shimmering a little bit in the light.
Now, in this humble analyst's opinion, starting pitchers can be game changers, and the Cardinals have Erick Fedde on the mound — with an ERA of 4.84, a WHIP of 1.48, and I'll add, a pretty decent handle on that ball with a K/9 of 5.1. It's not exactly Cy Young stuff, but it's enough to wreak some havoc. Now, the Nationals are stepping up with Mitchell Parker with his 3.50 ERA and 1.22 WHIP —lower figures, mind you— but again, not collecting the Nobel Prize of baseball just yet with his 4.6 K/9.
While pitchers try to control the game, batters can shatter a pitcher's ego like a champagne bottle at a ship christening. The Cardinals are bringing out some hitters — Brendan Donovan's been swatting flies out of the park with a .330 batting average, alongside Yohel Pozo with a .316 batting average. As for the Nationals, Alex Call and CJ Abrams, with batting averages of .310 and .302 respectively, are giving the ball some major abuse.
The Cardinals have had their day in the sun against the Nationals in recent matchups, bagging some shiny wins — remember that 8-3 win last July? That brought a tear to my eye, let me tell you. Recent results have been shaky for both teams, but slightly more stable for the Cardinals — shining like a new penny with their matches against Pittsburgh.
Now, here's where I chip in my two cents and expect no change. The Cardinals, with a little more pep in their step and a touch better form, seem to be a bit better poised for this contest. The Nationals, bless their hearts, are playing in their home field which can make a difference but, you know, miracles are a bit sparse these days.
So, here's the drum roll...get ready.
Albert’s Prediction: St. Louis Cardinals by 2