The lone national TV game around Major League Baseball on Monday night is one of the sport’s best rivalries as the Chicago Cubs visit the St. Louis Cardinals. Which way to lean at BMR’s top-rated books?
Chicago Cubs vs. St. Louis Cardinals
Monday, July 19, 2021 – 08:15 PM EDT at Busch Stadium
ESPN has the national telecast of Monday’s series opener between the rival Cubs and Cardinals – both of whom have disappointed. Chicago leads the season series 6-2 and is 2-1 in St. Louis. But, frankly, most of those games were back when the Cubs were contending in the NL Central. The team has fallen off a cliff since. Joc Pederson torched Cards pitching this year in batting 8-for-26 with three homers, 10 RBIs and eight runs scored, but St. Louis pitchers won’t have to worry about him here as Pederson was traded late last week to Atlanta for a prospect.
Kris Bryant is 7-for-25 vs. St. Louis this year with six RBIs. Anthony Rizzo is 7-for-28 with a homer. Willson Contreras just 4-for-27 with a whopping 13 strikeouts. St. Louis is hitting just .214 in the season series. Rookie of the Year candidate Dylan Carlson is 7-for-25 with three runs scored but no RBIs. Paul DeJong is 4-for-15 with three homers. Yadier Molina is hitting .200 vs. Cubs pitching, Tommy Edman .171 and Nolan Arenado .161.
Cubs Likely Active In Trade Market
Frankly, anytime we preview a Cubs game here at BMR over the next 11 days we have to mention it’s quite possible that Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Javy Baez and closer Craig Kimbrel are traded so it’s wise to wait until lineups are posted before wagering. It seems all but a done deal that Bryant, the former NL MVP and Rookie of the Year, is dealt by the July 30 Trade Deadline. The Mets and Nationals are the favorites on the MLB picks to land him.
Kimbrel probably is a goner, too. He has been arguably the best reliever in the majors. He has 21 saves and with an MLB-best 0.53 ERA. Opponents are hitting just .098 off him (also best among all relievers). Kimbrel has struck out 58 in 33.2 innings, a whopping average of 15.5 Ks per nine innings. Catcher Willson Contreras, who also could be traded (but not as likely since he’s under contract through next season), didn’t start Sunday’s game in Arizona but it was simply for rest. His 14 home runs are tops among NL catchers. Contreras should be in there for this one.
It’s Alec Mills (4-2, 4.84) on the mound. The journeyman was put into the rotation really only due to injuries elsewhere but has done a solid job. Mills has a 3.77 ERA in 28.2 innings this year as a starter compared to 6.41 in 19.2 innings as a reliever. Mills has made five appearances, four starts, in his career vs. St. Louis and is 0-1 with a 4.67 ERA in 17.1 innings with 15 hits allowed and 21 strikeouts.
Matt Carpenter doesn’t play every day at this point in his career for the Cardinals but probably will be in there somewhere considering he’s 3-for-8 with two homers off Mills. Tommy Edman is 6-for-7 with two doubles. The Cubs are 0-5 on the MLB odds in their past five Monday games.
Just Second Start For Cards Pitcher
The Cardinals are a massively disappointing 46-47 and it’s too bad they can’t play the MLB-best San Francisco Giants more often. St. Louis took two of three at home over the weekend vs. the Giants and also won two of three in San Francisco right before the All-Star break. Assuming he plays, and there’s no reason to think he won’t, future Hall of Fame catcher Yadier Molina is one double from reaching 396 in his career and tying Hall of Famer Gabby Hartnett (1922-41) for fifth all-time among primary catchers in MLB history.
First baseman Paul Goldschmidt is riding a 13-game hitting streak, which is the second-longest among NL players. However, his streak of three straight games with a homer and six in a row with at least an RBI ended in Sunday’s 2-1 win over the Giants. It’s relative unknown Jake Woodford (2-1, 5.05) on the mound here. This will be the 24-year-old’s 30th career MLB appearance but only second start. He had been sent down in June to Triple-A Memphis to stretch out as a starter and had a 4.50 ERA in 12 innings there.
"He wouldn’t be starting if we didn’t think he was built up," Cardinals manager Mike Shildt said. "Woody’s ready to go. He’s got a full complement; he’s ready to get up to 100." Woodford has pitched 5.1 innings career vs. the Cubs and allowed three runs on six hits (three homers). St. Louis has won four of its past five at home, and that’s really the only reason I’ll back the Cards here. The Cubs are 11 games under .500 on the road.
MLB Pick: Cardinals at -110 with BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.
