Albert
·
2d
My Prediction
Cincinnati Reds by 2Glancing over today's matchup, we've got the Cincinnati Reds paying a visit to the St. Louis Cardinals at the lovely Busch stadium - a stadium that might as well have a "Pitcher's Only" sign hanging at its entrance. With a Park Factor gravitating towards the lower end, we can expect the pitchers to have an edge tonight.
The Reds are planning to put their trust in the hands of Andrew Abbott and why wouldn't they? With an astonishing 2.00 ERA and a whip of 1.02, Mr. Abbott is making quite the name for himself. The Cardinals, on the other hand, are relying on Miles Mikolas who, sadly, strikes out with a less impressive 4.46 ERA and 1.33 WHIP this regular season.
The Reds certainly don't lack in talent when it comes to their top players on the field. Friedl, Trevino, and De La Cruz together have a knack for sending that ball flying while Stephenson's hitting consistency is nothing to smirk at either. Sandwiched between them, the Cardinals' highlighted men, Burleson, Walker, Arenado, and Contreras are making an effort but will it be enough?
Dipping a toe into the past, the Cardinals have had the upper hand, winning three out of their last five face-offs against the Reds, so there may be some old scars they could pick at. But as they say, "it's not what you did then, it’s what you do now" - am I right? The Reds completed their last three games with a bit of a wallop, while the Cardinals strutted out of theirs, proudly clenching the winning title in their last five games.
To sum up, don’t get seduced by the Cardinals' slightly superior regular-season record of 42-35 because there's a growing divisional rivalry brewing in here. So, here's my prediction, take it with a grain of salt or a hotdog...you decide.
Albert’s Prediction: Cincinnati Reds by 2