September 3, 2022 - Matchplug Blog

MLB Predictions – Cubs vs. Cardinals Game Preview

MLB Predictions

Chicago Cubs vs. St. Louis Cardinals

Over/Under: 7.5

Odds: Cardinals –205, Cubs +172

Time: 7:15 PM ET

MLB Predictions

The Chicago Cubs are traveling to face off with the St. Louis Cardinals. This next article of MLB Predictions feature two completely different squads.

Drew Smyly is getting the go-ahead for the Chicago Cubs in this game. Smyly has pitched to a 5-7 record so far this year along with a strong 3.24 ERA to back it up. He was on a three-game winning streak before losing the last two games that he’s made an appearance on the mound. However, neither of those can be attributed to poor pitching, he went for a combined 13.0 innings and allowed just one run in those losses. The Cubs as a team got shut out in both of those. Smyly has had some stellar games, but the batting just hasn’t been there at all.

On the other end, Adam Wainwright is starting for the Cardinals. Wainwright is 9-9 on the season while also piling on a 3.09 ERA. That ERA is actually the 20^th best for a pitcher in the league. He’s pitched against the Cubs three times this season, garnering a 2-1 record in that stretch. During those matchups, he’s pitched 20.0 innings has allowed just four runs. One of those games was even a shutout in seven innings.

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10-6 The Cardinals and Cubs have played against one another a lot this year. St. Louis has won 10 out of the 16 of their total matchups this season. Not only that, but they’ve won six out of their past eight games against the Cubs coming into this one.

St. Louis is currently the favorite for this game and they’ve proven to be the better squad this season. Their last game against one another could be a perfect indication of how this upcoming matchup could go. The Cardinals smoked them, shutting them out to the tune of an 8-0 game. Wainwright and Smyly have each put together wonderful performances throughout the year but have lost games they should have won. Much of that is due to inconsistent batting. Chicago has hit the 24^th most runs in the league this season compared to the Cardinals ranking third in the same category. Simply put, St. Louis has been more consistent and is coming off a dominant win over Chicago. It’s hard to see them dropping this one.

When it comes to the over/under for this game, the over looks like an excellent choice. The Cardinals have been phenomenal lately, with so many powerful batters lining up to launch away homers. That’s paid off when it comes to their record as they are making a huge push down the stretch of the year. Meanwhile, Chicago has consistently had trouble scoring, which is evident by the fact they have just the 24^th highest runs count. If you’re looking to bet on this, the over looks hot.

Final Pick: Cardinals -205

Over/Under Choice: Over 7.5

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Austin Meadows Speaks Out Regarding Mental Health

Austin Meadows, the Detroit Tigers outfielder, has announced that he will not be returning to the diamond this year as he prioritizes mental health. Meadows had been getting in extra work these past few months as he continues to work his way back from an Achilles injury.

Meadows recently came out and said this, “What I have told very few people is that I also have been struggling with my mental health in a way that has extended my time away from the game that I love so much. I’ve been dealing with this privately with a great team of professionals. But I need to continue to put in the hard work off the field towards feeling mentally healthy.”

He continued by mentioning that he has been back in the team clubhouse lately, and wants to stick around for the rest of this season. The only problem is that he just isn’t ready to get himself back onto the field yet, but he has made it clear that the teammates and professionals around him are helping him push through this difficult time.

Manager A.J. Hinch said this regarding Meadow’s announcement, “He wanted to share with everyone what he’s going through. I commend him for doing it. I’m very proud of him. It’s not easy in this sport, as an athlete, as a competitor, to admit when you need help outside the normal scope of baseball. We’ll offer him all the support we can, and we have been. It’s tough to hear, but I very much feel good about the path ahead. He’s on a great path, surrounded by a lot of great people. He’s got a ton of support, and his statement speaks for itself.”

Austin Meadows Has Suffered A Rough Stretch

Tigers was previously on the Tampa Bay Rays before he got traded to the Tigers before the end of Spring Training. He was flipped over in exchange for infielder Isaac Paredes. Meadows blasted away 33 home runs in 2019 for the Rays. Followed by another 27 home runs for the organization last year.

The injuries have just begun piling up for him over the years. Meadows picked up a non-COVID illness back in May. This started an entire cycle. When he was coming in and out of the rotation because of it, he fell onto the injured list with vertigo a few weeks later. Shortly after that, he was once again sick. This time on the COVID-19 list. Then finally, he was working at Triple-A Toledo during a rehab assignment. This was when his Achilles started to flare up on both of his feet.

Meadows wasn’t pressured into this decision to speak up about his mental health, it was entirely his choice. This isn’t the first athlete in professional sports to come out and speak about the important of mental health. Something everybody should be paying attention to. It’s good to hear that Meadows is getting the help and attention that he needs. Hopefully we will be able to see him on the field again shortly.

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MLB Predictions – Blue Jays vs. Pirates Game Preview

MLB Predictions

Toronto Blue Jays vs. Pittsburgh Pirates

Over/Under: 8

Odds: Blue Jays –172, Pirates +144

Time: 6:35 PM ET

MLB Predictions

MLB predictions are back once more. This time we head down to watch the Toronto Blue Jays and the Pittsburgh Pirates.

We will be seeing the Blue Jays start Trevor Richards for this game. Richards hasn’t been declared the winning pitcher much, appearing in 51.2 innings and holding onto a 3-1 total record on the season. During this time span, Richards has been able to post a 4.53 ERA and 66 total strikeouts. Lately, Richards hasn’t been able to help pull Toronto out of tough situations. He had seen the Blue Jays lose seven straight games before helping them win three out of their past five. It’s an interesting start for Toronto, but as a team they’ve been able to get the job done against the Pirates.

Flipping over to the Pirates, they are starting Roansy Contreras on the mound. Contreras is 4-4 on the year behind a solid 3.57 ERA. We haven’t seen him make an appearance for Pittsburgh since August 28^th, but it was a 5-0 shutout win over the Philadelphia Phillies. He pitched 5.0 innings and allowed just three hits and zero runs. Similar to Richards getting the start for the Blue Jays, Contreras is an interesting pick to get the start.

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Throughout this entire season, the Blue Jays have only played the Pirates once. That game actually happened to be their most recent game. Toronto took advantage of that game from start to finish, ending the night with a solid 4-0 shutout victory.

It’s not a surprise to see the Blue Jays get hit with the favorite label for this game. Toronto has won 10 out of their last 15 games overall coming into this one as they attempt to make an American League Wild Card spot. To make matters worse for the Pirates, they are just 2-8 against playoff contenders since the date August 22^nd. They’ve lost series to teams such as the Milwaukee Brewers, Philadelphia Phillies and the Atlanta Braves. This was also the Pirates 82^nd loss of the year. Yes, you heard that correctly. They are even on pace to break triple digits at this point. If you’re currently looking to place a bet on the winner of this game, the Blue Jays offer tremendous value and have proven to be the much better team. Not just as of late, but throughout this entire season as well.

The current over/under for this game is set at eight runs. The Blue Jays have been excellent at scoring runs this year, while the Pirates haven’t been the most consistent in that department. Throw on two wildcard pitchers and we have ourselves an incredibly tough choice here. If you’re looking to bet on this, I would say that the under might be the safer option. These two teams just scored four total runs in their last matchup against one another. Even if Toronto has a great night, Pittsburgh might get blanked again.

Final Pick: Blue Jays -172

Over/Under Choice: Under 8

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Day: September 3, 2022

MLB Predictions – Cubs vs. Cardinals Game Preview

MLB Predictions

MLB Picks Today

Austin Meadows Speaks Out Regarding Mental Health

Austin Meadows Has Suffered A Rough Stretch

MLB Predictions – Blue Jays vs. Pirates Game Preview

MLB Predictions

MLB Picks Today

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