Already leading the series 1-0, the Rays (69-46, 38-19 home) are sending Jalen Beeks to the mound to take on the Cardinals (49-65, 24-32 away) and Dakota Hudson. See who I like to come out on top in this interleague matchup between the St. Louis Cardinals and Tampa Bay Rays in St. Petersburg.

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS VS TAMPA BAY RAYS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Tampa Bay Rays -159

This game will be played at Tropicana Field at 6:40 ET on Wednesday, August 9th.

WHY BET THE TAMPA BAY RAYS:

  • In their previous five games, the Rays have a record of 3-2.
  • The Rays are currently up 1-0 in their series vs. the Cardinals.
  • Opponents are hitting just .228 against Jalen Beeks in his last four starts.

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS SEEK TO IMPROVE THEIR ROAD RECORD

On a record of 49-65, the Cardinals are 5th in the NL Central. At home, they have put together a win percent of 43.1% compared to 42.9% on the road. This season, St. Louis has gone 30-42 against teams who are above .500, and hold an overall series record of 13-19-4.

Dakota Hudson has yet to suffer a defeat in eight outings, boasting a 2-0 record. His ERA stands at 4.10 and opponents have slugged .379 against him. Hudson has racked up 20 strikeouts, giving him a K/9 of 6.84, while also allowing 10 walks for an OBP allowed of .325.

Dakota Hudson earned a quality start and victory in his last game against the Twins, as the Cardinals emerged victorious 7-3. The right-hander held Minnesota to two hits and three runs over seven innings.

During their last ten games, St. Louis is the 14th ranked offense in terms of batting average. In these games, they have hit a combined .245 and are averaging 3 runs per game. Across the entire season, the Cardinals are hitting .257 with an OBP of .330 while averaging 4.6 runs per contest. This figure puts them 11th in the league.

Nolan Arenado has been a major contributor to the Cardinals’ offensive success this season, leading the team with 24 home runs in their last five games. His batting average stands at an impressive .282, making him a key part of the team’s lineup.

WILL THE TAMPA BAY RAYS TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

Winners of two straight games, the Rays are in 2nd place in the AL East. So far, they have a series win percentage of 65% (20-11-5). Tampa Bay has gone 31-27 on the road this season compared to 38-19 at home.

Jalen Beeks is making his 28th appearance of the 2023 season with a 2-3 record. His ERA currently stands at 6.27, and opponents are batting .245 against him. On the road, Beeks has yet to find success, going 0-3 with an ERA of 14.31; however, he has been more successful at home, where he is 2-0 with a 5.91 ERA. For the season, teams have a slugging percentage of .381 when facing Beeks.

Jalen Beeks had a rough outing in his latest start, lasting only two innings and surrendering one run as the Rays were defeated 3-1 by the Phillies.

Across their last five games, the Rays’ offense is 4th in batting average, leading to an average of 5.2 runs per contest in that span. Overall, they are the 4th ranked scoring offense and posted a season-long OPS of .773 on 167 (4th). On average, they have struckout 8 times per game compard to 3.2 walks.

Isaac Paredes has been a major contributor to the Rays’ offensive success this season, leading the team in home runs with 22 and RBIs with 67. His slugging percentage is currently at .508 for the year.