8* Take St Louis – San Diego OVER (#977-978)

Both teams are taking excellent at bats.  Last night’s game produced 25 hits, ten walks and 20 runs.  Wednesday’s game had 21 hits nine walks and eleven runs; also flying the total.  Both games featured comebacks; with the trailing team slugging their way back into the game, while the team that was leading kept tacking runs on.  We’ve got a pair of ‘bet-on’ lineups here – period – especially with unseasonably warm conditions continuing in Southern California.

And neither staff can be trusted to get outs tonight.  Both bullpens have been used extensively in this series; neither pen has been the least bit effective.  San Diego is expected to cobble together some sort of ‘bullpen game’ from a pen that got lit up last night and needed seven relievers to get through Wednesday’s contest.  Manager Jayce Tingler: “I have no idea what we’re going to do with our pitching. We’re going to figure I tout tonight…and it’s going to be a long night!”

St Louis has a legit starter in Jack Flaherty, but Flaherty has been nowhere near his ace level form from last year.  The Cardinals bullpen behind him gave up nine runs in three innings of work last night, a pen that cannot be trusted to be either fresh or effective this evening.  Expect another relatively high scoring affair here!  Take the OVER.