I like the Cards here today with 2011 World Series MVP coming back to a line up that already is averaging 6.36 runs per 9 vs. RHP. They'll face Mat Latos here today who has not pitched well agaisnt the Cardinals particularly in St. Louis. In 4 starts in St. Louis he has a 2.44 WHIP with a 13.50 ERA. Molina, Jay, Freese and Beltran are 23-52 with 4 HR against him. The team collectively has 110 AB with a .345 average and a .955 OPS vs. Latos. Latos also struggles in his April starts posting a 5.73 ERA over his last 13 April starts. He did not have a good spring posting a 5.49 ERA and a 1.58 WHIP. The Cardinals were also #3 in OPS during day games where they went 33-24 last year.
Cardinals will send Jaime Garcia to the mound who has a 2.09 ERA in his last 6 home starts vs. the Reds. The Reds have 145 at bats collectively agaisnt Garcia with only 2 HR and .608 OPS. He has a 2.03 ERA in his last 14 April starts, 2.33 ERA in his last 38 home starts and a 3.19 ERA in his last 22 day starts. He's a GB picher and only allows 7.2 HR/FB. I expect the Cardinals to take game 1 ast heya re 50-23 in their last 73 home games vs. the Reds.
