St. Louis Cardinals vs Seattle Mariners Picks and Predictions September 6th 2024

From Busch Stadium in St. Louis, we have the Mariners and Cardinals facing off in an interleague matchup. Friday’s forecasted temperature is 83 degrees with a few clouds. The Cardinals are favored on the money line (-113), while the Mariners are the slight underdog (-105).

First pitch is set for 8:15 PM ET, and RSNW will be televising this one. Seattle is currently on a two-game winning streak, and their record of 71-70 has them 2nd in the AL West. The Cardinals are 3rd in the NL Central with a record of 71-69. Friday’s over/under line is at 7.5 runs.

Seattle is sending right-hander Bryce Miller to the mound today vs. the Cardinals. He has made 27 starts this season and has a record of 10-8 with a 3.30 ERA. Looking at his overall numbers, Miller has a WHIP of 1.00 and has allowed a total of 20 home runs this year. In his 27 starts, Miller has turned in 14 quality starts and is averaging 8.52 strikeouts per nine innings. His last outing came on September 1st, where he took the loss, giving up three earned runs in 4 2/3 innings of work. Before that, he had won two straight starts.

Cal Raleigh and Luke Raley are the Mariners’ top power threats this season, as they are both near the top of the league in home runs and are also 1-2 in terms of RBIs for Seattle. However, both players are batting below .220 for the season. Julio Rodriguez is batting .258 for the season and is on an eight-game hitting streak. In his last seven games, he has gone 9/27 with two homers.

Overall, the Mariners are 26th in scoring at 4.1 runs per game. They have been even worse at home, averaging just 3.7 runs per contest. As a team, they are batting just .218 and are the league’s worst team in terms of strikeouts per game. Currently, the Mariners have the 4th most walks in the league.

St. Louis is sending Erick Fedde to the mound today, and he comes into the game with a record of 8-8 and an ERA of 3.43. Fedde has made 27 starts this year and has pitched well at home, coming in with a record of 6-3 and an ERA of 2.16. Looking at his overall numbers, he has allowed 20 home runs and is averaging 7.97 strikeouts per nine innings. Fedde’s last outing came vs. the Yankees, where he took the loss, giving up four earned runs in 5 1/3 innings of work. He has lost each of his last three starts.

Paul Goldschmidt has been hot of late for the Cardinals, going 9/23 in his last five games with a home run and three RBIs. Goldschmidt is also on an 11-game hitting streak heading into today’s game. For the season, he is batting .247 with a team-high 21 homers and 58 RBIs. Alec Burleson is also at 21 homers, and his 73 RBIs are the best on the team.

As a team, the Cardinals are averaging 4.2 runs per game, which is 24th in the league. They have been a little better at home, averaging 4.3 runs per contest. Overall, they are batting .248, which is 10th in the league, and have the 10th fewest strikeouts in the league.

Cardinals Face Mariners as Both Teams Battle to Stay in Playoff Hunt

As the playoff race heats up, the St. Louis Cardinals and Seattle Mariners meet in a crucial three-game series on Friday night, with both teams clinging to their postseason aspirations. With the Cardinals looking to make a final push in the National League wild-card race and the Mariners fighting to close the gap in the American League West, this matchup offers both teams a chance to stay in the hunt.

Cardinals Fight to Stay in Wild-Card Contention

The Cardinals (71-69) are fighting tooth and nail to keep their wild-card hopes alive. They’ve won six of their last eight games, positioning themselves just five games out of the final NL wild-card spot with 22 games left in the regular season.

Their recent surge includes impressive series wins against tough opponents like the Milwaukee Brewers, New York Yankees, and Minnesota Twins. They also managed to split a four-game series with the San Diego Padres, showing they still have plenty of fight left.

One of the breakout stars during this stretch has been Luken Baker, who has thrived in his extended playing time. Known for his power, Baker hit 32 homers at Triple-A Memphis and delivered the game-winning hit in Wednesday’s victory. He now has an RBI in six straight games, making him a vital piece of the Cardinals’ offense.

Mariners Look to Build Momentum

The Mariners (71-70) are fresh off back-to-back wins over the Oakland A’s, where they exploded for 22 runs over two games. After struggling through four straight losses, Seattle’s offense came to life, and they’ll need to maintain that momentum as they sit 4 1/2 games behind the Houston Astros for the top spot in the AL West.

With the AL wild-card race still in play, the Mariners know they need to string together more wins during this road trip to stay in the race.

Pitching Matchup: Fedde vs. Miller

For Friday’s opener, the Cardinals will send Erick Fedde (8-8, 3.43 ERA) to the mound. Fedde is coming off a loss to the Yankees, where he allowed four runs in 5 1/3 innings but struck out eight. He has a 3.27 ERA in two starts against Seattle this season, though his career numbers against the Mariners sit at 0-3 with a 3.38 ERA in four starts.

Seattle will counter with Bryce Miller (10-8, 3.30 ERA), who has been mostly solid this season but struggled in his last outing, throwing 91 pitches over just 4 2/3 innings in a loss to the Los Angeles Angels. Despite the rough game, Miller was lights out in July and August, posting a combined 4-0 record with a 2.00 ERA over both months.

This will be Miller’s first career start against the Cardinals, adding an extra layer of intrigue to the pitching duel.

Outlook

With both teams clinging to playoff hopes, every game in this series feels like a must-win. The Cardinals, driven by young contributors like Luken Baker, are determined to claw their way back into the wild-card race. Meanwhile, the Mariners are hoping their offensive breakout against Oakland will carry over, as they chase both a wild-card spot and a division title.

With only 22 games left for the Cardinals and the Mariners facing a 4 1/2-game deficit in the AL West, this series could be a defining moment for both teams’ playoff dreams. Every inning counts, and the pressure is on as they battle to stay in the race.

Look for the Mariners to come out on top in this one, and we are leaning towards taking them on the money line. As for how we would play the over/under line, we would go with the over, as this is projected to be the 8th highest-scoring game of the day, and this one has the 6th highest total hits projection. Seattle starter Bryce Miller is our lowest projected starting pitcher in terms of strikeouts, and we have the Cardinals’ offense finishing with the 4th fewest team strikeouts.