3 Bold Predictions for Cardinals-Dodgers Wild Card Matchup
Ladies and gentleman, we have officially entered the best part of the sports calendar. The start of the MLB Playoffs signals a stretch of non-stop sports from now until the conclusion of the World Series.
Fall truly is the best season.
The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox will face off on Tuesday night in the American League Wild Card game and then the St. Louis Cardinals will take on the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Wild Card game on Wednesday.
Here are my three most bold predictions for the Cardinals and Dodgers showdown.
Max Scherzer Won’t Allow a Run
No pitcher in the MLB post season has the level of experience and success that Max Scherzer has had in his postseason career, and the Dodgers need a big one from him if they want to defend their World Series title.
Scherzer has faced the Cardinals twice this season, and he has yet to allow a single earned run across a combined 14 innings. Now that it’s the postseason, he’s going to crank it up another notch.
Not only has Scherzer dominated the Cardinals when he’s faced them this year, but St. Louis ranks 20th in the Majors in runs per game at 4.36 so it’s not like they’re exactly a top tier offense.
If the Cardinals want to win this game, they’ll need to attack the Dodgers bullpen when/if they turn to it.
Dodgers Will Score Multiple Runs in the Third Inning
As good as Cardinals starter Adam Wainwright has been this season, he’s been absolutely abhorrent in the third inning of games and that’s where the majority of runs scored against him have come. He sports a sub-three ERA in every single inning this season except for the third, where his ERA is all the way up to 5.97.
He’s allowed a total of 21 earned runs in the third innings this season, and in no other inning has he allowed more than 10.
Expect the Dodgers to get to him in the third inning on Wednesday night.
Dodgers Will Win by At Least 3 Runs
If you’re feeling as confident in the Dodgers as I am, you can back them on the -2.5 alternate run line at WynnBET at +145.
Despite not winning their division, the Dodgers have been statistically the best team in the Majors this season. They rank fourth in runs per game (5.12) and first in team earned run average (3.01).
The Cardinals have been hot lately, but they can’t match up to the Dodgers type of numbers. They rank 20th in runs per game (4.36) and 12th in team ERA (3.98).
With Scherzer on the bump, the Cardinals have a daunting task ahead of them. I don’t think they’re up for the challenge.
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