MLB Predictions – Garcia Stymies Padres to Help Cards Even Series

Our Wednesday night MLB predictions take us to Petco Park where a pair of division leaders in the St. Louis Cardinals and San Diego Padres partakes in the second of their scheduled three-game set.

The first game of this series saw an epic pitching duel take place between the Redbirds Adam Wainwright and the Padres Jon Garland. Though Wainwright tied his career high with 12 K’s and limited the Padres to just four hits (1 HR) and one ER through his seven innings of work, he came out the tough luck loser with the long ball he surrendered to Jerry Hairston Jr. being the games ultimate decider.

The defeat dropped St. Louis to a game under .500 on the road (11-12, -$341), and back into a 1st place tie with the Cincinnati Reds atop the NL Central.

As for San Diego, it cashed yet another ticket as home underdogs forcing oddsmakers to shake their heads once again. The victory improved manager Bud Black’s club to an NL West best 27-18 overall (+$1151); SD is the best MLB bet odds in the National League to date.

St. Louis Cardinals (26-20, -$407) vs. San Diego Padres (27-18, +$1151)

Game Date/Time: Wednesday, May 26th, 10:05 ET
Game Location: Petco Park, San Diego, CA
TV/Radio Broadcast: FOX – Midwest, 4SD, XM

MLB Odds

St. Louis Cardinals -1.5 +145 -120
(Jaime Garcia – L)
Tampa Bay Rays +1.5 -165 Even
(Kevin Correia – R)
Total 6.5 O -120 6.5 U Even

Looking to get his club back on the winning track will be rookie left-handed phenom Jaime Garcia. The southpaw enters his ninth start of the season 4-2 with a miniscule 1.28 ERA & 1.14 WHIP having allowed 36 hits and a paltry seven ER’s through 49.1 total innings of work.

The youngster has a wide array of pitches which has caused him to baffle each of his nine opponents this season; he’s yet to surrender more than two ER’s in an outing. The Cardinals are 3-2 in his five road starts where he owns a 2.08 ERA & 1.29 WHIP through 30.1 total innings of work.

He opposed the Padres back in July of 2008 in a game the Cardinals won 9-5, and this will be his first career start at spacious Petco Park.

Opposing the Cardinals stud will be RHP Kevin Correia. He was plagued by some untimely errors in each of his L/2 outings against the Dodgers, as the Padres lost both games by a 4-1 final tally to tag him with a pair of losses.

San Diego won four of his first five starts of the 2010 baseball betting season, but since, he’s 0-3 with a 5.71 ERA & 1.27 WHIP throughout his L/3 starts.

In three career starts vs. St. Louis, the righty is 1-2 with a 3.72 ERA & 1.45 WHIP. He served up 10 hits and five ER’s in a Petco start against them last season.

MLB Insider Tip: St. Louis is 13-6 (+$300) off a loss this season, and they’ve won 20 of the 34 games they’ve played in against right-handed starters on the year. The Redbirds are also 2-1 (+$100) in 2010 and 13-4 the L/3 seasons when playing after getting shut out.

Though their 7-5 (+$270) against left-handers this season, the Padres are batting a woeful .239 against them on the year. Garcia has been pretty much impossible for solid offensive teams to tackle, which certainly doesn’t bode well for this weak hitting SD squad.

My MLB predictions for Game 2 of this series have the Cardinals evening up the series behind yet another stellar performance from their rookie.

My MLB Prediction: St. Louis Cardinals (Garcia)