San Diego Struggles Continue as Cardinals Favored in Series Finale: Preview and Prediction for Padres vs. Cardinals Game

This article provides a preview of the final game of a four-game weekend series between the San Diego Padres and St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals have won the first two games of the series and are looking to finish strong at home. The article offers a prediction for the outcome of the game and was published prior to the third game of the series.

Betting Odds

Moneyline: Padres +112 | Cardinals -130
Spread: Padres +1.5 (-180) | Cardinals -1.5 (+157)
Total: Over/Under 9 (-110)
Based on the moneyline, the implied probability that St. Louis will win straight-up is 57%.

San Diego Padres

The San Diego Padres suffered their fourth consecutive loss as they were shut out in their previous game on Friday night. Despite their recent struggles, the Padres entered Saturday with a 55-49 record, placing them second in the NL West, six games behind the division-leading Dodgers. They currently hold the final wild card spot in the National League, leading the Giants and Reds by one game. In their recent game against St. Louis, the Padres managed 11 hits but were unable to generate any offense, going 0 for 9 with runners in scoring position and leaving nine men on base. Pitcher Nick Pivetta took the loss after allowing three runs over 6.1 innings of work. Stephen Kolek is set to start the series opener for the Padres, with a 3-5 record and 4.28 ERA on the season. In his last start, he took a loss against the Marlins, and in his last three starts, he has a 0-2 record with a 5.40 ERA. This will be Kolek's 14th start of the year and his first appearance at Busch Stadium.

St. Louis Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals won their second consecutive game after struggling through a stretch of losses, bringing their record to 54-51 and placing them fourth in the NL Central, eight games behind the division leaders. They are also 1.5 games behind the Padres for the final wild card spot in the National League. In their recent victory against the San Diego Padres, the Cardinals had a total of five hits with Ivan Herrera and Willson Contreras both contributing two runs each. Despite only going one for nine with runners in scoring position, the Cardinals managed to secure the win. Pitcher Miles Mikolas earned the win after pitching five scoreless innings, with Ryan Helsley closing out the game and earning his 21st save. Michael McGreevy will be starting for the Cardinals in the upcoming game, holding a record of 2-1 with a 3.49 ERA over the season. McGreevy recently secured a win against the Rockies in his last outing, pitching seven innings with minimal runs allowed. This will be McGreevy's first time pitching against the Padres and his sixth appearance at Busch Stadium.

San Diego Struggles Continue as Cardinals Favored in Series Finale

San Diego encountered difficulties in the initial two games of the series, facing pitching struggles in the first game and an inability to produce clutch hits in the second game on Friday. Kolek has not secured a win in his last four starts and his performance has been lackluster. On a positive note, McGreevy delivered a solid performance in his first start after a month-long hiatus, showcasing his ability with a seven-inning, one earned run outing at Coors Field. Considering recent performances, it is challenging to predict the outcome of the upcoming game. The Cardinals, with a stronger home record of 31-20 compared to the Padres' 24-31 road record, are favored to emerge victorious in the series finale.

Sources: [ 4 ] [ 5 ] [ 6 ] [ 7 ]

Power Rankings[ - ]

Last 10 Games Stats[ - ]

Betting Trends[ - ]

Injuries[ - ]