The NL Central-leading Cardinals will open a three-game set with the Dodgers after failing to sweep the Diamondbacks in the desert, while LA is trying to get back on track after dropping their last three. Let’s break this Memorial Day clash down and keep cashing in our MLB picks!
St. Louis Cardinals vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
Monday, May 31, 2021 – 9:10 PM ET at Dodger Stadium
The Cardinals saw their chances of sweeping the Diamondbacks evaporate when Arizona plated five runs in the sixth inning to draw away to a 9-2 lead which they never relinquished. It not only staved off a sweep from St. Louis but snapped a 13-game losing streak for the Snakes.
St. Louis outfielder Dylan Carlson made noise early with a first-inning home run shot followed by an RBI double by Andrew Knizner in the second. But that was the length and breadth of the Cardinals’ offense on Sunday as they prepare to take on the underachieving Dodgers.
However, it should be noted that three of the Cardinals’ top five hitters in their lineup, Nolan Arenado, Yadier Molina, and Tommy Edman got the day off after playing in 10 consecutive games. "It makes sense to give them a day off their feet," St. Louis manager Mike Shildt said.
Errors and sloppy play also played a part in the Cardinals’ loss and it did not go unnoticed by the manager, “One of the things that we talk about, think about, is we give nothing and take everything in competition,” Shildt said. “We gave too much away.”
Memorial Day Sensation
A matchup of two of the best pitchers in the league will be a Memorial Day treat for baseball fans as Jack Flaherty and LA’s Trevor Bauer will do the honors. Flaherty grew up as a huge Dodgers fan, while anything can happen when reigning NL Cy Young pitcher Trevor Bauer takes the bump.
It is also the first time the Cards have visited Dodger Stadium since getting swept two years ago. And if that’s not enough, a reunion will be in the offing as well when the Cards see their old slugger, Albert Pujols, dressed in Dodger blue.
“That’s pretty good stuff,” Shildt said. “Jack, a little bit of a homecoming, his area. Two of the better guys in baseball. A rendezvous with Albert. He’ll be on the other side, which is abnormal for us. One of the great things about the game on a national holiday and there’s a lot of exciting stuff around the game.
St. Louis will welcome back their regulars who got the day off after a rugged stretch in the schedule and will hope to right the ship against the defending World Series champs.
Wanna Make a Bet?
The Cardinals will play their 11th of 17 straight games on Monday and that would normally be an issue if St. Louis manager, Mike Shildt, hadn’t rolled the dice yesterday and gave his big bats a break. Unfortunately for Shildt, his decision could have cost them the game against the woeful D-Backs but at the very least he will reap the reward of having a few key bats ready to roll against one of the best in the business, Trevor Bauer.
The tale of the tape is as follows: Jack Flaherty (8-1, 2.54 ERA, 1.07 WHIP) vs. Trevor Bauer (5-2, 2.07 ERA, 0.82 WHIP). Flaherty will have something to prove after suffering his worst performance of the season when he lasted just 3.2 innings and surrendered three earned runs on six hits in an 8-3 loss to the White Sox on Tuesday.
On the flip side, Bauer was hurt by the long ball in his last outing when he gave up a pair of hits, both home runs, over six innings in a 5-2 setback to the Astros. The Dodgers have lost their last three games and are 1-4 over their last five after a span that saw them win eight straight.
The MLB odds on this one are showing the Dodgers as prohibitive favorites but I have to ask…why? The Cardinals have three of their top hitters well-rested and have the ace of their staff locked and loaded for redemption after an uncharacteristically poor start. And now the books want to give me +166 for the pleasure of backing a division leader?
Say no more, back the Cards, and grab the juice!
Free MLB Pick: Cardinals +166 at Heritage Sports ( visit our Heritage Sports Review)
*The pick reflects the line at the moment the writer made the play, the odds at the beginning of this article show the live line movement. Since the lines might vary, don’t forget to refer back to our live odds.
