Friday, July 29, 2016

Marlins Park

For Updated Odds on This Game Click Here

Probable Pitchers: Mike Leake vs. Jose Urena

The St. Louis Cardinals visit Marlins Park on Friday to play the Miami Marlins. The probable starters are Mike Leake for the Cardinals and Jose Urena for the Marlins. The opening line for this matchup has St. Louis at +185 and Miami at -200. The over/under was set at 7. The Cardinals have a 52-44-5 over/under record and a 51-50-0 run line mark, meaning they cover 51% of the time. The Marlins are 52-49-0 against the run line and have a 51-48-2 over/under record. They cover the spread 52% of the time.

The Cardinals head into this matchup with a 54-47 record, including 29-17 on the road. Starting pitcher Mike Leake has a 7-8 record with an earned run average of 4.24 and a WHIP of 1.24. He has 91 strikeouts over his 123 innings pitched and he has given up 135 hits so far this season. He has allowed 9.9 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 3.86. The bullpen this year has an earned run average of 3.34 and they have given up 234 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .209 against the bullpen while being struck out 295 times and walking 112 times this season. As a team, St. Louis has allowed 8.5 hits per nine innings while striking out 7.8 batters per nine. They are 8th in the league in team earned run average at 3.81. The Cardinals pitchers have collectively given up 858 base hits and 385 earned runs. They have allowed 90 home runs this season and they allow 0.9 homers per nine innings as a staff. St. Louis as a pitching staff has walked 283 batters and struck out 787. They walk 2.8 men per 9 innings while striking out 7.8 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 1.26 and their FIP as a unit is 3.75.

As a team, St. Louis is batting .257, good for 14th in the league while putting together a .263 average away from home. The Cardinals hold a .444 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .329 which is good for 9th in baseball. They rank 14th in baseball with 8.88 hits per game. Yadier Molina comes into this game hitting .267 and his on-base percentage is at .331. He has 87 hits this season along with 35 runs scored and 30 runs batted in. He's struck out 39 times and has walked 30 times. Matt Carpenter is hitting .298 and he has an on-base percentage of .420. He has totaled 85 hits so far while scoring 56 runs and he's driven in 53. He has walked 58 times and has struck out 61 times. The Cardinals have 898 hits, including 193 doubles and 138 home runs. They've stolen 25 bases while they've been thrown out stealing 19 times. St. Louis has walked 344 times this season and they've struck out 797 times as a unit. They've left 708 men on base and have a team OPS of .774. They score 5.08 runs per contest and have scored a total of 513 runs so far this year.

Miami comes into this matchup with a 27-22 home record and a 55-46 overall mark. With an earned run average of 5.34, Jose Urena has a 1-2 record and a 1.41 WHIP. He has 21 strikeouts over the 32 innings he's pitched during which he has given up 34 hits. He has allowed 9.6 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 4.17. So far this season the bullpen has an earned run average of 3.63 and they have given up 274 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .223 against the Marlins bullpen while being struck out 349 times and walking 146 times this season. As a team, Miami has allowed 8.23 hits per nine innings while striking out 8.7 batters per nine. They are 10th in the league in team earned run average at 3.87. The Marlins pitchers as a team have surrendered 824 base knocks and 387 earned runs so far this season. They have given up 96 home runs this year and they give up 1.1 home runs per nine innings as a staff. Miami as a staff has walked 349 hitters and struck out 871. They give up a walk 3.5 times per 9 innings while they strike out 8.7 per 9. Their team WHIP is 1.30 while their FIP as a staff is 3.90.

As a team, they are batting .272, good for 2nd in the league while putting together a .258 average at home. The Marlins hold a .408 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .331 which is good for 8th in baseball. They rank 2nd in baseball with 9.45 hits per contest. Martin Prado comes into this matchup batting .324 and he has an OBP of .375. He has 122 hits this year along with 44 runs scored and 36 RBI. He's struck out 45 times and has walked on 31 occasions. Marcell Ozuna is hitting .297 and he has an OBP of .350. He has collected 109 hits so far while he's scored 55 runs and drove in 53. He has earned a walk 30 times and has punched out 80 times. The Marlins as a unit have 954 base hits, including 171 doubles and 84 homers. They have 33 stolen bases while they've been thrown out 13 times. Miami as a team has walked 289 times this year and they have struck out 773 times. They've had 763 men left on base and have an OPS of .738. They score 4.21 runs per game and have totaled 425 runs so far this season.

St. Louis Cardinals Betting Trends

The St. Louis Cardinals are 52-44-5 against the over/under so far this season

The St. Louis Cardinals are 51-50-0 against the run line so far this season

Miami Marlins Betting Trends

The Miami Marlins are 51-48-2 against the over/under so far this season

The Miami Marlins are 52-49-0 against the run line so far this season

Injuries to Watch

St. Louis Cardinals

07/27/16 P Trevor Rosenthal Rotator Cuff 15-day DL (7/26)
07/19/16 3B Jhonny Peralta Thumb 15-day DL (7/18)
07/07/16 C Brayan Pena Knee 15-day DL (7/7)
07/07/16 3B Matt Carpenter Oblique 15-day DL (7/7)
07/06/16 1B Brandon Moss Ankle 15-day DL (7/5)
05/26/16 P Mitch Harris Elbow 60-day DL (3/25)
04/04/16 P Jordan Walden Abdominal 60-day DL (3/31)
04/04/16 P Lance Lynn Elbow 60-day DL; out for season

Miami Marlins

07/27/16 1B Chris Johnson Ankle "?" Thursday vs. St. Louis Cardinals
07/26/16 2B Dee Gordon Suspension 80-game suspension, expected to be activated Thursday vs St Louis Cardinals
07/25/16 P Wei-Yin Chen Elbow 15-day DL (7/21)
07/06/16 1B Justin Bour Ankle 15-day DL (7/3)
07/01/16 P Bryan Morris Back 60-day DL (5/25)
05/15/16 P Kendry Flores Shoulder 15-day DL (5/15)
04/04/16 P Raudel Lazo Shoulder 15-day DL (3/25)
04/03/16 P Carter Capps Arm 60-day DL; out for season

Josh's Pick: Take the Cardinals

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here

Read more articles by Josh Schonwald