Cincinnati Reds vs St. Louis Cardinals Prediction, 9/12/2021 MLB Pick, Tips and Odds

Game: Cincinnati Reds vs St. Louis Cardinals

Date: Sunday, September 12, 2021

Location: Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MO

TV: Bally Sports Midwest

Odds/Point Spread: Cincinnati (-135) St. Louis (+110)

J.A. Happ and the St. Louis Cardinals (71-69, 3rd in NL Central) play the Cincinnati Reds (75-67, 2nd in NL Central) at Busch Stadium on Sunday. The Reds open this matchup at -135 while the Cardinals are coming in at +110. The over/under opens at 8.5. The pitchers who are expected to start will be Sonny Gray and J.A. Happ.

Cincinnati has a slugging rate of .430 and have been called out on strikes 1,266 times, while taking a walk on 487 occasions. They have 669 runs batted in in addition to 1,187 base knocks this year, while their batting average is .249. The Reds have hit 257 doubles as a unit and have smacked 194 balls out of the stadium. They have notched a total of 697 runs scored while holding a team on-base percentage of .329. As a team, the Cincinnati Reds are notching 4.9 runs per contest, which has them sitting at 7th in baseball.

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The Reds are sitting with a team ERA of 4.36 on the year (18th in MLB), and they have rung up 1,340 hitters. Their strikeout to walk ratio is 2.46 and the pitching staff holds a collective WHIP of 1.35. Reds pitchers have conceded 183 home runs in addition to 664 total runs (17th in baseball). They have walked 544 batters and their FIP sits at 4.36 as a team this year.

The Reds have dispatched 503 relievers to the hill this season. The relief pitchers have inherited 219 runners so far this year and 39.3% of them ended up crossing the plate. They have accumulated 39 saves this year and have blown 25 of their 64 save chances. The Reds relief pitchers have earned a save percentage of 60.9% and has stepped onto the mound in 132 save situations. The bullpen are sitting with 66 holds so far this season (16th in baseball). Reds pitchers have stepped onto the hill with players on base 145 times and also have had 170 appearances in high leverage situations.

The Reds have turned 69.1% of balls hit into play into outs out of 11,337 innings on the field, which has them ranked 22nd in the majors. The Cincinnati Reds have earned a total of 3,779 putouts on the campaign, in addition to 1,233 assists and 77 errors. Their fielding percentage is holding at .985 which puts them in 15th in professional baseball, and have earned 921 double plays.

Gray (82-69 career mark) is the owner of a FIP of 3.67 while facing 5,193 batters in the major leagues. He has allowed 1,076 base hits (7.8 hits per 9 innings) with 444 free passes. His earned run average is 3.57 (494 ER's allowed) and he has a WHIP of 1.220. Gray has taken the hill for 1,245 innings and has accumulated 1,201 K's in his career.

St. Louis has hit 158 home runs so far this season as well as 555 RBIs. They have recorded 219 doubles, while taking a walk 421 times as well as racking up 576 runs. The St. Louis Cardinals have accumulated an OBP of .310 and a batting average of .239 on the campaign. The Cardinals hold a team slugging percentage of .396 and they average 4.11 runs per game (26th in baseball). They have been rung up on 1,156 occasions (24th in the league) and have recorded 1,104 base hits.

The Cardinals hold a team WHIP of 1.316 and have a FIP of 4.34 as a pitching staff on the campaign. They currently have a strikeout to walk ratio of 1.97 (1,060 strikeouts vs 539 walks). They rank 8th in baseball as a pitching staff in total hits relinquished with 1,071. They have allowed 131 home runs and they give up 4.42 runs per 9 innings (14th in the league). The St. Louis pitching staff have yielded 600 runs so far this season while holding a team ERA of 4.11 (558 earned runs yielded).

Sitting with 143 save situations, the Cardinals have compiled 84 holds and 18 blown saves. St. Louis has called on bullpen pitchers to enter the contest in 57 save chances and they have converted 39 saves. Their bullpen pitchers have stepped onto the mound 134 times in high leverage situations in addition to 147 occasions with runners on. St. Louis relievers hold an inherited score percentage of 37.1% of 248 inherited base runners. They are currently ranked 3rd in baseball with a save percentage of 68.4%, and they have sent 478 bullpen pitchers onto the field on the year.

In 11,007 innings on the field, the Cardinals hold a defensive efficiency of 71.2% (4th in the majors). The St. Louis Cardinals have twisted 110 double plays and own a fielding percentage of .985 (16th in pro baseball). The Cardinals have 1,296 assists, 77 errors and have accounted for 3,669 putouts for the season.

Happ (131-100 record in his career) is the owner of a 4.14 earned run average while giving up 8.7 hits per 9 innings. His strikeout to walk ratio is 2.48 and he has faced 7,967 batters during his MLB career. He has allowed 862 earned runs while holding a WHIP of 1.316 and having a FIP of 4.3. Thus far in his career, Happ has allowed 1,805 base knocks and he has 1,642 strikeouts in 1,874 frames.

Who will win tonight's MLB game ATS?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Cincinnati (-135)

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