The St. Louis Cardinals (22-15) and San Francisco Giants (18-19) will continue a National League series on Thursday afternoon at AT&T Park, with the first pitch scheduled for 3:45 ET
St. Louis Cardinals at San Francisco Giants
St. Louis will look to complete the sweep of a short two-game series against San Francisco, picking up a 4-1 road victory on Wednesday night. The Cardinals are hoping that outfielder Carlos Beltran can return to the lineup after missing the last four contests, as he leads the team with 13 home runs and 32 RBIs. St. Louis is 9-7 in day games, with the “over” going 10-6 in that situation.
Cardinals starting pitcher Adam Wainwright (2-4, 6.16 ERA) will look to bounce back after suffering a 7-2 home loss to the Atlanta Braves last time out, giving up five runs and nine hits over 4.1 innings. The right-hander is 1-1 with a 2.41 ERA in three road starts this year, issuing just three walks and striking out 20 over 18.2 frames. In six career games (four starts) versus the Giants, Wainwright is 1-3 with a 3.38 ERA, including a 1-3 mark and 4.32 ERA in four outings (three starts) at AT&T Park.
San Francisco has managed to score just five runs in dropping its last two games, as the team continues to struggle with runners in scoring position, ranking third-worst in the majors in that category. The Giants have played a lot of close games at home this season, with 17 of 18 contests being decided by three or fewer runs. The key to success for this club is turning it over to the bullpen, posting a 14-0 record this year when leading after seven innings. San Francisco is 9-6 in day games, but 10-15 when facing right-handed starters.
Giants starting pitcher Matt Cain (2-2, 2.28 ERA) has led the club to consecutive victories, including a 5-2 road win over the Arizona Diamondbacks last time out, allowing just a single run and three hits over six innings. The right-hander has an even 1-1 record and 1.09 ERA in four home starts, with opposing hitters batting just .138 against him. In six career starts versus the Cardinals, Cain has produced a 1-2 record and 4.29 ERA, which includes receiving a no decision in a 3-2 home win on April 9 of last year. He surrendered two runs and five hits over six frames in that effort.
Bettors will likely back the Cardinals due to their 11-2 record in Wainwright’s last 13 starts as a road underdog, while the Giants are 2-8 in Cain’s last 10 efforts as a favorite of -110 to -150.
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