The St. Louis Cardinals begin the second half of their 2024 season on the road against the Atlanta Braves on Friday. Both teams currently hold the top two wildcard spots. The Cardinals, with a 50-46 record, are in second place and just 4.5 games behind the Brewers in the divisional standings. They are coming off a loss to the Cubs on Sunday.
The Atlanta Braves, with a 53-42 record, lead the wildcard standings. They have some ground to cover to catch the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League East. The Braves are 6-4 over their last 10 games and are coming into this matchup fresh off a win against San Diego on Sunday.
For Friday’s game, the Braves are favored at -135 at home over the Cardinals, with the total set at 7.5 runs.
Cardinals Looking to Start the Second Half Strong
The Cardinals enter the second half ranking 22nd in Major League Baseball in runs scored. The team has a batting average of .245, placing them 13th in the league, but they have struggled with home runs, hitting only 94 this season.
Key offensive players for the Cardinals include Masyn Winn, Alec Burleson, and Brendan Donovan. Rookie Masyn Winn is hitting .284, Alec Burleson leads the team with a .288 average, and Brendan Donovan is batting .276. In terms of power, Burleson and Nolan Gorman have been leading the charge, with Gorman hitting 17 home runs.
Following this series, the Cardinals will head to Pittsburgh for three games next week, then return home to host the Nationals and Rangers to close out July.
Braves Still a Big Threat
The Braves continue to perform well despite missing two of their top sluggers, Michael Harris and Ronald Acuna. The team is averaging 4.3 runs per game with a batting average of .241. Despite the absence of key players, the Braves have hit 109 home runs this season.
Leading the Braves’ offense are Marcell Ozuna and Austin Riley. Ozuna boasts a .303 batting average and has hit 26 home runs. Riley has 12 home runs, just one behind Matt Olson, while Jarred Kelenic has contributed 10 home runs this season.
After the series with the Cardinals, Atlanta will host the Cincinnati Reds for three games next week before embarking on a road trip to face the Mets in a four-game series.
Spencer Schwellenbach is expected to get the start for Atlanta. He is 3-4 with a 4.43 earned run average on the season. He turned 24 years old in May.
Cardinals Top Braves
We like Sonny Gray to bounce back and have a big second half of the season. Gray has been waiting to grab his 10th win for awhile now. We are going to take the Cardinals to win this game on the road as the underdog. Take St. Louis +115 over the Atlanta Braves on Friday. Enjoy the game and best of luck!
