The Cardinals (48-63, 24-32 home) will host the Rockies (43-66, 18-36 away) in game two of this National League series. Starting for the Cardinals is Steven Matz, while the Rockies are giving the ball to Ty Blach. Read on to see my pick for this showdown between St. Louis Cardinals and Colorado Rockies.

COLORADO ROCKIES VS ST. LOUIS CARDINALS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Colorado Rockies +192

This game will be played at Busch Stadium at 7:15 ET on Saturday, August 5th.

WHY BET THE COLORADO ROCKIES:

  • Coming into the game, the Cardinals have gone just 2-3 in their last five home games.
  • In their last five games as the underdog, the Rockies have put together a record of 3-2.
  • The Cardinals’ are just 6-9 in Steven Matz’s 15 starts.

COLORADO ROCKIES SEEK TO IMPROVE THEIR ROAD RECORD

The Rockies’ record of 43-66 has them ranked 5th in the NL West. So far, they have a below .500 series record of 12-20-3. This season, they have gone 25-30 at home and 18-36 on the road.

Colorado will hand the ball to Ty Blach, who is 1-0 on the season. The right-hander has held opponents to three earned runs or fewer in five consecutive outings, and his ERA (4.22) and FIP (4.21) are both solid. Opposing batters have a .471 slugging percentage against Blach, who has recorded nine strikeouts thus far.

Ty Blach earned a victory in his most recent start against the Athletics, as he allowed just three hits and no runs. The Rockies emerged victorious with a 2-0 scoreline, with Blach’s performance proving instrumental in the win.

Over their last five games, the Rockies are ranked 11th in the league in scoring at 4.2 runs per game. Their season-long scoring average of 4.4 per contest puts them 19th in baseball. In terms of on-base percentage, Colorado is 16th, with an OBP currently sitting at .314. The team’s collective batting average is .254 (9th).

Ryan McMahon is having a strong offensive season for the Colorado Rockies, boasting a .263 batting average and .479 slugging percentage. He has been particularly impressive over the past ten games, leading the team in hits with a .364 average.

WILL THE ST. LOUIS CARDINALS TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

Heading into today’s game, the Cardinals are 5th in the NL Central with an overall record of 48-63. When looking at their performance in their 35 series, St. Louis is 13-18-4. Against below .500 teams, the Cardinals are 15-15 while going 24-31 on the road and 24-32 at home.

Steven Matz is set to take the mound for St. Louis, having gone at least six innings in his last two outings. His ERA for the season stands at 4.07, and he has a 2-7 record with 87 strikeouts. His WHIP is 1.39 and opponents have a .314 WOBA against him, while he has issued 30 walks thus far.

The St. Louis Cardinals earned a victory in Steven Matz’s most recent start, shutting out the Chicago Cubs 3-0. The left-hander pitched six innings, surrendering four hits and no earned runs to improve his record to W-L.

The Cardinals have been one of the top power lineups in the league of late, having hit 18 home runs over their last ten games. Compared to other clubs, this is 3rd best in that span. For the season, they are ranked 5th in home runs and 7th in slugging percentage. Overall, St. Louis is averaging 4.7 runs per game (11th).

The Cardinals’ offensive performance over the last five games has been led by Alec Burleson, who has hit two home runs. For the season, Burleson has gone yard eight times and holds a .253 batting average.