St. Louis Cardinals vs La Dodgers Dodgers Picks and Predictions August 16th 2024

Cardinals Face Tough Test as They Begin Daunting Stretch Against Dodgers

The St. Louis Cardinals are set to set out on one of the most challenging stretches of their season as they start a 22-game go against groups with winning records. This troublesome record starts off on Friday when they host the Los Angeles Dodgers for a three-game series at Busch Stadium. After a disheartening series in Cincinnati, the Cardinals are hoping to recapture their balance in the National League playoff race.

Cardinals Look to Bounce back After Unpleasant Series

The Cardinals are falling off one of their worst series of the time, having been cleared by the Cincinnati Reds in three unbalanced games. St. Louis oversaw just four stumbles into the whole series, enduring losses of 6-1, 4-1, and 9-2. The Cardinals have now lost 14 of their last 22 games, and their postseason trusts are getting ceaselessly as they get themselves nine games behind the NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers and four games out of a wild-card spot.

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In spite of the new struggles, Cardinals outfielder Alec Burleson stays optimistic about the group’s capacity to return. “I’m not stressed over who’s in the other burrow, but rather it’s an issue of trusting in each other and playing the brand of baseball we can play,” Burleson said.

“We haven’t gotten away from that, but some things haven’t gone our way, and as an offense, we’re scuffling. We’ve proven that we’re capable of coming out of something like this.”

With a tight wild-card race and multiple games remaining against the Brewers, Cardinals pitcher Kyle Gibson emphasized the importance of staying focused. “This wild-card race and the division race are going to be tight, and we still have a lot of games with Milwaukee, and I feel like that can go in our favor,” Gibson said. “I’ve got no doubt that this team can get through this stretch and start playing quality baseball again.”

Mikolas Looks to Bounce Back

The Cardinals will turn to veteran right-hander Miles Mikolas in the series opener. Mikolas (8-9, 5.30 ERA) has struggled in his last two outings, allowing a combined nine runs on 16 hits in just eight innings. He’ll be looking to rebound against a tough Dodgers lineup that got the better of him earlier this season. In their March 28 meeting, the Dodgers tagged Mikolas for five runs on seven hits, including home runs by Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts, en route to a 7-1 victory. Historically, Mikolas has had difficulty against the Dodgers, posting a 1-3 record with a 5.06 ERA in eight career appearances (five starts) against them.

Dodgers Aim to Regain Momentum

The Dodgers, in the mean time, are returning off to-back losses to the Milwaukee Brewers, which snapped their five-game series of wins. These losses have fixed the race in the NL West, with the Dodgers’ lead contracting to just two games as the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres close in after broadened hot streaks.

Los Angeles will be looking to get back on track as they head into this series against the Cardinals. Dodgers pitcher Jack Flaherty expressed the team’s desire to bounce back quickly:

“You want to win every game, every series. Any time you don’t, you’re not going to feel good walking away from it.”

Wrobleski Could Get the Start

Dodgers director Dave Roberts has chosen to give starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow an additional day off, moving his start to Saturday. This opens the entryway for tenderfoot left-hander Justin Wrobleski (0-1, 4.05 ERA) to start in his place potentially. Wrobleski, who made four starts in July during a prior call-up, has shown guarantee in his new outings. In his last two major league starts, he allowed just two sudden spikes in demand for seven hits north of 10 innings. Wrobleski has also been strong in the minors this season, posting a 5-4 record with a 3.57 ERA in 17 starts between Twofold A Tulsa and Triple-An Oklahoma City.

Betts Returns to Lineup

The Dodgers will also invite back Mookie Betts to the starting setup after he was given a rest day on Thursday. Betts as of late gotten back from the harmed list subsequent to recuperating from a wrecked hand, and Roberts is being mindful of his responsibility. “It’s been some time since he’s been playing consistently,” Roberts said. “After this (day away from work) just let him play it out to the off days. After we get past this stretch, he ought to be all set.”

Conclusion: A Crucial Series for Both Teams

As the Cardinals and Dodgers go head to head, the two groups are needing a strong appearance. The Cardinals are desperate to turn around their new slide and keep their playoff trusts alive, while the Dodgers are hoping to recapture energy and keep up with their lead in the NL West. With an extreme timetable ahead, this series will be a critical test for St. Louis as they start their exhausting 22-game stretch against winning groups. For the Dodgers, it’s a chance to harden their situation as they pursue another division title.