StL Cardinals -165 Pitt Pirates
Risking 2.50 Units to Win 1.51 Units
I know the chalk is mighty high and dusty but hopefully through this write up I can show how huge a mismatch this looks to be. First, let's start with road/home records of each team respectively. The Pirates are a whopping 19 games under .500 on the road and the Cardinals are 11 games above .500 at home. Next, the Pirates starter Beimel has been plain and simply a batting practice machine to the opposing teams lately. In June and July combined he has a 2-4 record and has given up 26 Earned Runs in 37.2 Innings. Overall, he is 1-4 at night with an ERA of 5.67; the next stat might be the most telling as to how he has struggled lately. I his last SIX starts he has given up 26 Earned Runs in 28.2 innngs pitched. Plus in those six starts he has never made it through the sixth. Lately the Pirates pen has pitched well, but with the guys in there they have tossin' it is only a matter of time before they revert back to form they have shown all season with an ERA in the mid fives. They did get worked pretty hard in the series with the Cubs to boot. The starter for the Cardinals tonight, Bud Smith, is one of the young prospects the Cards will be building around for years. The Pirates haven't hit lefties well at all this year, .241 overall and .236 on the road, and Smith is an extremely tuff one. In his short stint with the Cards so far this year left handed hitters have yet to get a hit, 0-11. Overall batters are only 11-55 against him (.200). He did go more than 100 pitches last outing, so if the case arrives that he is running out of gas Kline and Timlin are rested and waiting in the wings to come in for their relief appearance. If you get a chance take a looks at Bud Smith's minor league stats, pretty eye popping!!! Sorry about the long write up just wanted to justify that laying -165 tonight looks to be a money making opportunity.
Good luck everyone,
HC
