Kansas City Royals vs St. Louis Cardinals Picks and Predictions August 10th 2024

At 7:10 PM ET, the Cardinals and Royals will face off in an interleague matchup. This one is being played at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, and the Royals are favored on the money line, with their odds sitting at -133. The money line odds for a Cardinals win are at +114, and the over/under line is at 9 runs.

Andre Pallante is starting for the Cardinals, and he is facing off against Michael Wacha for the Royals. Pallante has a record of 60-57, while the Royals are 64-53, and they are 3rd in the AL Central. The Cardinals are 2nd in the NL Central. BSKC is carrying this game on TV.

St. Louis vs. Kansas City Key Information

Right-hander Andre Pallante is on the mound for the Cardinals today as he faces the Royals on the road. He has made 11 starts this season and has a record of 4-6 with an ERA of 4.43. Pallante’s WHIP for the season is 1.37. In his 20 appearances, he has turned in three quality starts. Looking back at his most recent outing, Pallante took the loss, giving up five earned runs in 4 2/3 innings of work vs. the Mets. Before that, he had given up at least two homers in three straight starts.

St. Louis comes into the game averaging 4.2 runs per game, which is 22nd in the league. They have been slightly better at home, averaging 4.3 runs per game. As a team, the Cardinals are batting .246, which is 10th in the league, and have the 18th ranked home run total in the MLB.

Achieve Betting Success! View our comprehensive MLB Betting Picks.

Alec Burleson has been the Cardinals’ top power threat this season, as his 20 home runs leads the team and is 14th in the league. He is also batting .278 for the season and has gone 8/29 with two homers over his last seven games. Brendan Donovan has been a solid hitter for the Cardinals this season, batting .269 with nine homers.

Michael Wacha gets the start for the Royals today and comes in with a record of 8-6 and an ERA of 3.55. So far this year, he has made 20 starts, and opponents are batting .244 off the right-hander. Wacha has turned in 10 quality starts this year and is averaging 7.34 strikeouts per nine innings. In his last outing, Wacha finished with a no-decision, giving up two earned runs in six innings of work. Before that, he had won two straight starts. The right-hander has been much better on the road, coming in with a record of 4-5 and an ERA of 3.87 compared to 4-1 with a 4.03 ERA at home.

So far this season, the Royals are averaging 4.8 runs per game, which is 10th in the league. They have been even better at home, putting up 5.2 runs per contest. As a team, the Royals are batting .253, which is 7th in the league, and have the 2nd fewest strikeouts in the league. Kansas City’s offense has been led by Bobby Witt Jr., who is batting .346 with 22 homers and 84 RBIs. His 84 RBIs are 5th in the league.

Vinnie Pasquantino has been swinging a hot bat of late, going 8/25 with three homers over his last six games. This has pushed his season average to .267, and his 17 homers are good for 3rd on the team. Salvador Perez also has 20 homers this season and is batting .280 overall. He is currently on a four-game hitting streak.

As the Cardinals and Royals face off today, we are leaning towards the Cardinals picking up the win on the road. We also anticipate this being a high-scoring game, as this is projected to be the 4th highest-scoring game of the day, and our lean would be on the over. St. Louis comes into this one with our 5th highest projected hits total and 6th highest home run total. Looking at today’s starters, we have Michael Wacha as the 10th worst strikeout pitcher in today’s slate and Andre Pallante as the 6th worst.

Ex-Cardinals RHP Michael Wacha Leads Royals into Showdown Against St. Louis

Michael Wacha will take the hill on Saturday for the Kansas City Royals, hoping to score his second success over his previous group, the St. Louis Cardinals, in just under a month. As the Royals mean to salvage a split in their two-game series against the Cardinals, Wacha’s insight and inspiration will be key variables.

Wacha’s Recognizable Enemy

Wacha, who spent the first seven times of his profession with St. Louis, has since ventured through five distinct groups throughout the course of recent years. Regardless of the changes, the 33-year-old right-hander still feels a touch of additional inspiration while confronting the Cardinals.

“There’s most certainly a little a bonus, you know, coming from them and enjoying that numerous years with them,” Wacha expressed, as per the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “To the extent that arrangement proceeds to prepare for the start, I attempt to just treat it just like I would some other start.”

In his past trip against the Cardinals on July 10, Wacha allowed four runs (three procured) on seven hits north of five innings, assisting Kansas City with getting a 8-5 triumph in St. Louis. Overall, Wacha holds a 3-0 record with a 3.12 ERA in three profession starts against his previous group.

Contreras and Cardinals Offense Pose a Challenge

Wacha will need to be cautious with Cardinals catcher Willson Contreras, who was instrumental in St. Louis’ 7-5 win on Friday night. Contreras launched two two-run homers, driving the Cardinals to their third victory in four games.

Alec Burleson also contributed with a solo homer, while he, Contreras, and Brendan Donovan each tallied three hits in the series opener. Rookie Victor Scott II delivered a clutch go-ahead two-run double in the eighth inning, underscoring the depth and danger of the Cardinals’ lineup.

“I’m definitely super excited that I could impact the ball, move some things around, be able to create a win here,” Scott told Bally Sports Midwest after the game.

Royals’ Struggles in the Series Opener

Kansas City’s offense, meanwhile, was less consistent in Friday’s loss. While Michael Massey led the charge with a three-hit performance and two RBIs, the middle of the Royals’ lineup struggled. The Nos. 2-5 hitters combined for just one hit in 17 at-bats, striking out five times. Salvador Perez, who provided the lone hit for that group with an RBI single, had homered in each of the previous two games against St. Louis but was kept quiet on Friday.

Pallante Starts for St. Louis

The Cardinals will counter with right-hander Andre Pallante (4-6, 4.43 ERA), who is looking to rebound after a tough stretch. Pallante is 0-3 over his last five outings, including a rough start on Monday against the New York Mets, where he allowed five runs on five hits in just 4 2/3 innings during a 6-0 loss.

Join the Winning Team! Register Now on SportsHub.

Pallante’s role in the rotation is far from secure, especially with right-hander Lance Lynn nearing a return from a knee injury. Lynn is expected to be eligible to come off the injured list on Wednesday, which could potentially displace Pallante if he doesn’t show improvement.

“Try and not think about that,” Pallante said regarding the uncertainty of his rotation spot. “I told them when I have a start against a team, I’m going to be ready to start against that team. So, it was just going out there and trying to execute pitches as good as I can.”

Pallante struggled against the Royals in his past start on July 10, allowing four sudden spikes in demand for six hits north of 6 1/3 innings in a misfortune. His vocation numbers against Kansas City incorporate a 0-1 record and a 6.48 ERA in two appearances (one start).

Key Matchup in the Standoff

As Wacha goes head to head against his previous group, the Royals will depend on his experience and knowledge of the Cardinals to assist them with staying away from a series clear. In the mean time, Pallante will hope to protect his spot in the Cardinals’ pivot with a strong presentation. The two groups are looking for energy as the season advances, making this matchup a charming fight between two pitchers with a lot to demonstrate.