After being swept in the Bronx in 3 games the travel wary White Sox return home to host St. Louis. The Cards will send the winningest pitcher in MLB, RHP Jack Flaherty, (8-0) to square off against RHP Lucas Giolito (3-4). How can you bet against the Cardinals when Flaherty is on the bump? I think you can’t and I think the Sox losing streak will go from 3 to 4 games. I pick the Cardinals.
Dorothy said “there’s no place like home,” clicked her heels, and poof! She was home. White Sox manager Tony La Russa might be hoping for a bit of hometown magic after his club dropped 3 straight in Yankee Stadium and his first place Sox went 2-4 last week on the road. Tuesday night on Chicago’s south side, the Sox, who still hold a 2 game lead over Cleveland in the AL Central, will call on righty Lucas Giolito (3-4) to face the Cardinals. “Gio” has a 4.35 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP in 49.2 innings this season. He has struggled at home however and has a 3.60 ERA in Chicago in 4 appearances. Somewhere around the 6th inning I expect La Russa to go to the Sox bullpen and the White Sox pen has a 3.88 ERA on the season and a 1.37 WHIP. La Russa has called on righty relief pitcher Jose Ruiz 18 times this season and Ruiz has done a nice job with a 0.98 WHIP and a 2.79 ERA in the Sox so-so bullpen. At the plate the Sox slugging DH Yermin Mercedes is in a bit of a slump and has gone 2 for 14 in his last 4 games. Still, Mercedes is 3rd in MLB with a .347 BA which leads the Sox as do his 51 HIts. Sox 1B, the 2020 AL League MVP Jose Abreu, leads the club with 9 HR and 35 RBI and 3B Yoan Moncada has a .413 OBP to lead Chicago. If you’re looking for baseball betting sites The St. Louis Cardinals come into Tuesday night’s game after winning 2 of 3 in Chi-town vs the Cubbies this past weekend. The Cards are just 4 of 10 however and I see this series as a good litmus test for both clubs. Cardinals manager Mike Shildt will send out his stud pitcher righty Jack Flaherty who is 8-0 in 9 appearances and leads MLB in wins. Flaherty has been fantastic and sports one of MLB lowest WHIPs among starters at 0.99 on the year. If you’re looking for MLB betting odds note that he has a 2.53 ERA in 53 ⅓ innings pitched this season and on the road this year is 4-0 with a 3.49 ERA. Expect Shildt to ride Flaherty into the 6th when his bullpen will take over. The Cardinals pen this season has been a bit shaky and has a 4.30 ERA and a 1.39 WHIP. If the Cards have a closing situation we will see Alex Reyes who has been great this year in his first season as the team’s closer and has 14 saves and 0 blown saves on the year with a 0.72 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP. Reyes has 23 appearances on the season. The Cardinals batters are led by LF Dylan Carlson with a .291 BA and a .382 OBP. 3B Nolan Arenado has 10 HR and 32 RBI to lead the Cards and infielder Tommy Edman has 53 hits on the year. Of all the games I’ve picked so far this one is the biggest coin flip in my opinion, still, with Flaherty on the hill for St. Louis and the White Sox in a bit of a funk, I think the best bet is to take the Cardinals. My pick is St. Louis to win.
