Only eight matches on Monday’s MLB program and obviously the best matchup is a series opener out of St. Louis as the Washington Nationals see city in what might be a playoff preview. Suggestion: it does n’t — then the Nationals would be the NL’s best Wild-Card team — In the event the postseason were to start on Monday and the Cardinals would be the NL Central winner. However, the Cardinals are only up two matches on the Cubs from the Central so in theory we can visit that a Washington vs. St. Louis Wild-Card Game. Together with the Cardinals winning in five matches those two teams met from the 2012 NLDS. The Nationals, Yankees Cardinals and Dodgers are the only teams to have records in each season since 2012.
Washington hosted St. Louis for four matches from April 29-May 2 and the Cardinals took two of them — that the Nationals were a small mess which early in the summer but turned things around starting May 24. Harrison Bader had a fantastic show, batting .357 with a homer and four RBIs. Marcell Ozuna has been 6-for-17 with 2 rebounds and three. Paul Goldschmidt Matt Carpenter 1-for-16 with 11 Ks and was just. Howie Kendrick directed the Nationals in hitting .429 vs. the Cardinals. Victor Robles and adam Eaton had the only two Washington homers in this series. The Nats were outscored 15-8.
St. Louis has won the home part of the season series each of the past two years. It was 3-1 at 2018.
Washington starts Cy Young contender Stephen Strasburg (17-6, 3.49). He signed a seven-year, $175 million expansion with the team in May 2016 but is nurturing well and has stayed healthy that it’s anticipated the former No. 1 overall pick will opt out of the bargain that this winter to test free agency. Not sure the Nationals could afford him with all they are spending Max Scherzer and Patrick Corbin to fellow studs.
Strasburg directs the National League in wins and is second in strikeouts (229), third in innings (191) and sixth at WHIP (1.05). The right-hander comes from a win in Minnesota. That single Washington win against the Cardinals before this year was with Strasburg on the mound as he allowed one run and six hits over 6.2 innings with nine strikeouts.
He has begun seven days in his career against St. Louis and is now 3-2 with a 2.38 ERA and 52 strikeouts in 45.1 innings. Ozuna hits him well career, going. He’s the only Cardinal. Goldschmidt is 6-for-21 with 2 doubles.
It is good-looking right-hander Dakota Hudson (15-7, 3.38) for the Cardinals. The 25-year-old did as Hudson allowed two runs and just four hits over six innings in 32, possess a streak snapped last time out but it was his fault. He tied his season high by walking and let his street homer since July 23.
Hudson is now making start and his sixth career look . It is his first start against the Nationals in Busch Stadium. Hudson took the loss reverse Strasburg on May 2, allowing two runs over six. He got a relief win from Washington in August 2018 in Busch. No more Washington batter gets homered him off. Ryan Zimmermann is 1-for-1 using three RBIs and a double.
Will the Cardinals have Carlos Martinez? Probably not. He wasn’t available on Sunday from the Brewers because of respiratory issues and was hospitalized on Saturday night. The Cards could have employed him as they enabled four runs together with four arriving to a Ryan Braun grand slam with two outs, in the 7-6 loss. The Cardinals lost their first home show since July 26-28 vs. Houston. When taking out a lead into the 9th 12, they are.
Best Pick: Under 8 (+105) using BetOnline
