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The St. Louis Cardinals host the San Diego Padres for the first game of a three-game set. The Padres have now won seven of their last 10 after a walk-off victory on Sunday claimed their series against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Cardinals were unable to take the series win against the Milwaukee Brewers, but they've been playing good baseball of late, winning six of their previous nine.
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"TRENT. GRISHAM. " - @Padres
The Padres will send Nick Martinez to the hill, carrying a 3.86 ERA in seven starts. Martinez has pitched in a lot of tight games this month, but he has seen his club win three of his last four starts. He'll be tasked with trying to slow down a good-hitting Cardinals team that ranks sixth in runs per game at 4.7. St. Louis has a well-balanced lineup that doesn't rely on going deep but rather on playing small ball and manufacturing runs, as evidenced by their major league-leading 38 stolen bases in 44 attempts.
The Cardinals starter Monday will be lefty Packy Naughton, who has made just one start this year, where he gave up three runs in 3 1/3 several weeks ago. The bullpen will likely be called upon early in this one, especially with a patient San Diego team that takes their walks. (They rank third in BB%.) The Padres have beaten up lefty starters this year, winning 13 of 17 this season, and they're also the best road team in the MLB at 17-7.
St. Louis Cardinals vs. San Diego Padres Match Details
Fixture: San Diego Padres @ St. Louis Cardinals
Date & Time: Monday, May 30, 2:15 p.m. EDT
Venue: Busch Stadium, St. Louis, MO
St. Louis Cardinals vs. San Diego Padres Betting Odds
This is the first meeting of the year between these two National League contenders, and both teams have excellent records in the opening game of a series. San Diego is 12-2 in their previous 14 openers, while St. Louis is 15-7. The over has hit in five of the last six matchups, but both teams' pitching staffs have been pretty good this season.
"STLCards will recall LHP Packy Naughton and start him on Monday vs. the Padres." - @ John Denton
The under has hit in five of the last six for the Padres, as they're only allowing 2.4 runs per contest in their last eight games.
St. Louis Cardinals vs. San Diego Padres Best Picks
Juan Yepez burst on to the season earlier this season, but he's struggled recently as he has just a .178 wOBA in his last 12 plate appearances. Expect his slump to carry into Monday's game against Martinez and a bullpen that has been unhittable lately.
Pick: Juan Yepez Under 0.5 Singles (-125)
St. Louis Cardinals vs. San Diego Padres Betting Prediction
Nick Martinez has been a reliable option for San Diego this year, while Naughton got hit around by a weak-hitting Baltimore Orioles club in his only start of the year. The Padres' bullpen has been able to lower their WHIP to 1.12 over the past week. Offensively, they are a team that's put the ball in play extremely well in recent games. The Cardinals' staff doesn't overpower hitters. With the way San Diego has been dominating away from home this year, expect them to take the series opener on Monday.
Prediction: San Diego Padres ML (-105) & Under 8.5 Runs (-105)
