The St. Louis Cardinals host the Toronto Blue Jays on Opening Day as part of a three-game interleague series to begin the MLB regular season. The two teams split a pair of two-game series in 2022. The opening series will be the only time these two franchises face each other this year.
Thursday’s first pitch is at 4:10 p.m. EST inside Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri. Toronto is the betting favorite (-120) while the over/under total is 7.5 runs.
What to Know – Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto comes into the season with high hopes after a trip to the postseason last year that ended at the hands of the Seattle Mariners in the Wild Card Series. The Blue Jays finished second in a tough AL East with a 92-70 record. John Schneider took over as interim manager wide way through last season and was hired in a permanent manager role following the season.
Getting the nod on the hill for the visitors is 25-year-old right-hander Alek Manoah. The 6’6, 285-pound hurler finished the 2022 season with a 16-7 record, 2.24 ERA, and 180 strikeouts over 196.2 innings of work.
Manoah’s work on the mound last season earned him a trip to his first All-Star Game.
The bulk of Toronto’s offense returns from last season, including four all-stars from 2022. First baseman Vladimir Gurerro Jr, catcher Alejandro Kirk, second baseman Santiago Espinal and outfielder George Springer all made the Mid-Summer Classic.
Toronto added an additional piece to their offense in the offseason, trading for outfielder Daulton Varsho. The former Arizona Diamondback hit .235 with 27 home runs and 74 RBIs in 2022.
What to Know – St. Louis Cardinals
The Cardinals enter 2023 expecting to return to the playoffs for the fifth year in a row. St. Louis was swept by the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL Wild Card Series, ending its 2022 playoffs. Manager Oliver Mamol returns to guide St. Louis after leading the Cardinals to the NL Central crown and a 93-69 regular season record.
Right-hander Miles Mikolas will toe the rubber for the Cardinals in the season opener. The 34-year old veteran is in his eighth season in the majors. In 2022, Mikolas went 12-13 with a 3.29 ERA and 153 strikeouts over 202.1 innings on the mound.
A pair of 2022 All-Stars, Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado, return to the heart of the Cardinals lineup. The two sluggers combined for 65 home runs and 218 RBIs last season.
Yadier Molina retired after the season, so St. Louis went out and signed former Chicago Cubs catcher Willson Contreras to take over backstop duties. Rookie Jordan Walker, one of the Cardinals top prospects, made the Opening Day roster after a strong spring.
The Pick is In
Busch Stadium will be rocking when these two teams take the field Thursday afternoon. Pitchers are usually ahead of hitters early on in the season, but we predict these two offenses to plate some runs in the opener.
The Pick: Cardinals/Blue Jays O7.5
