The St. Louis Cardinals (28-28) and Houston Astros (24-31) will continue a three-game National League Central series on Wednesday night at Minute Maid Park, with the first pitch scheduled for 8:05 ET
St. Louis Cardinals at Houston Astros
St. Louis is now 1-6 on its current road trip after suffering a 9-8 setback to Houston on Tuesday night, while also falling to .500 on the season for the second time. The Cardinals are now just 28-33 inside this ball park since the start of the 2005 campaign. Despite the recent woes, the club has still managed to outscore opponents by 47 runs over the course of the season. St. Louis is 3-6 as a road favorite of -125 to -150, with the “over” going 6-3 in those contests.
Cardinals starting pitcher Adam Wainwright (4-6, 4.98 ERA) is coming off a dreadful outing in allowing seven runs and six hits in 6.1 innings of an 8-0 road loss to the New York Mets, but he lands in a favorable situation in this affair. The right-hander is 10-1 with a 1.54 ERA in 18 career games (12 starts) versus the Astros, including a 4-0 mark and 1.83 ERA in five starts at this ball park. St. Louis has won each of those outings.
Houston has won its last two games as home underdogs, which isn’t too surprising due to its 18-12 record at this venue in 2012. Astros second baseman Jose Altuve has been red hot at the plate, going 14 for 28 over his last six games, while hitting .442 in 10 career meetings against the Cardinals. He has compiled 24 multi-hit games this year, which ranks third overall in the majors. Houston is 12-9 against divisional foes, with the “over” going 12-9 in those contests.
Astros starting pitcher Bud Norris (5-2, 4.52 ERA) has watched the club drop his last two efforts, including an 11-5 setback on the road to the Colorado Rockies last time out, giving up nine runs and seven hits over 1.2 innings. The right-hander has been incredible at home, posting a 3-0 record and 1.60 ERA in five outings, as opponents are hitting just .189 against him. In 11 lifetime starts versus the Cardinals, Norris has gone 7-2 with a 2.17 ERA, including an 8-2 victory on this field on May 5.
Bettors will likely back the Astros due to their 11-4 mark in Norris’ last 15 starts as a home underdog, while the Cardinals are 3-8 in Wainwright’s last 11 efforts within the division.
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