That’s usually what happens after a few brewskies. That why MLB betting fans like to say you don’t buy beer; you rent it. And there’ll be plenty of beer-chugging going on as the Milwaukee Brewers and the St. Louis Cardinals continue their series tonight.
Time: 8:15 PM
Venue: Busch Stadium
Sportsbook odds for fans who bet on baseball:
Brewers +1½ (-150) 9 (EV) +152
Cardinals -1½ (+130) 9 (-120) -162
Milwaukee
On the mound: Matt Garza (RHP, 2-2, 3.83 ERA, 33 K) will make his ninth start of the season and first since coming back from the disabled list with a chest contusion sustained after colliding with teammate Jesus Aguilar. Has chest-bumping finally gone too far? Well, at least he found Jesus. The contusion resulted in soreness in his neck and shoulder, but the righty will be activated on time for tonight’s game.
Garza is 5-5 with a 3.99 ERA in 14 career starts versus the Cards but this will be the first time he faces them this season; he went
1-1 with a 3.55 ERA and allowed five earned runs in 12 innings in his two starts against St. Louis in 2016.
At bat: Outfielder Keon Broxton had missed on more than 40 percent of his swings entering Tuesday’s doubleheader – one of the five highest rates in the Majors. Broxton’s 24.4% chase rate is below the league average, so it’s not like he is going after bad pitches. On the other hand, his 38% whiff rate on in-zone pitches was the highest in the game entering Tuesday.
Trends for fans who bet on baseball: The Brewers have lost four of their last six games but have won four of their last six visits to the Cardinals. The MLB betting total has gone over in three of Milwaukee’s last five games.
St. Louis
On the mound: Mike Leake (RHP, 5-5, 2.70 ERA, 58 K) has lost his previous three starts and allowed the Reds two earned runs on 10 hits in five innings – his shortest game of the season – on Thursday. Leake surrendered two earned runs on three hits and struck out six in six innings in 6-4 win against the Cards in April. Leake was ranked fifth in the National League in ERA and WHIP entering Tuesday.
At bat: Infielder Matt Carpenter has hit safely in each of his last seven games, with an extra base hit in six, and has hit a double in four consecutive games. Meanwhile, Stephen Piscotty has reached base safely in 12 of his last 13 games.
Miscellanea: The Cards have shutout Milwaukee nine times since 2015 following their 6-0 win in Tuesday’s first game.
Trends for fans who bet on baseball: The Cardinals have won four of their last five games and six of their last seven at home, but have lost one third of their last 12 games and four of their last six times hosting the Brewers. The MLB betting total has gone under in four of St. Louis’ last five games.