Colorado Rockies vs St. Louis Cardinals Picks and Predictions September 24th 2024

At 8:40 PM ET, the Cardinals and Rockies will square off in an NL matchup. This one is taking place at Coors Field in Denver, and the Rockies are the slight money line favorite (+103). The Cardinals are 2-0 on their current winning streak and are 3rd in the NL Central.

The over/under line is currently at 10.5 runs, and Michael McGreevy is starting for the Cardinals, while the Rockies are going with Ryan Feltner. McGreevy is facing a Rockies team that is 60-96, while the Cardinals are 79-77 overall.

St. Louis vs. Colorado Key Information

Michael McGreevy is getting the start for the Cardinals today on the road against the Rockies. This will be his first road start of the season, as he picked up a win in his first outing, going 3 innings and striking out 4. McGreevy has been efficient in his first two outings, as he only gave up 1 earned run in his first start and has yet to allow a home run.

St. Louis has been one of the worst offensive teams in the league this season, averaging just 4.1 runs per game, which is 25th in the majors. They have been slightly better at home, averaging 4.2 runs per game. As a team, the Cardinals are batting .245, which is 11th in the league, and are also 18th in home runs. So far, their team on-base percentage and slugging percentage numbers are right around the league average.

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St. Louis has a few players with good home run numbers, but it has come at the expense of their batting averages. Alec Burleson and Paul Goldschmidt are tied for the team lead with 21 homers, but Burleson is batting just .267, and Goldschmidt is at .243. Brendan Donovan has been swinging a hot bat of late, going 9/23 in his last six games with a home run.

Colorado is sending Ryan Feltner to the mound today vs. the Cardinals, and he is coming off a strong outing. In that September 17th start vs. the Diamondbacks, Feltner went 6 2/3 innings, picking up the win and giving up just one earned run. Looking at his overall numbers, Feltner is 3-10 with a 4.73 ERA. Opponents have a batting average of .255 vs. Feltner this season. Out of his 28 starts, he has turned in 11 quality starts and is averaging 7.72 strikeouts per nine innings.

As a team, the Rockies are averaging 4.2 runs per game, which is 18th in the MLB. This number is a bit misleading, as they are one of the best home hitting teams in the league, averaging 5 runs per game. The Rockies have also been very good at putting the ball in play this season, as they have the league’s 3rd best BABIP. However, they have the league’s 2nd worst strikeout rate.

Ezequiel Tovar and Michael Toglia are tied for the team lead with 25 homers, but Tovar has a much better batting average this season, hitting .267 compared to Toglia’s .214. Tovar has also been hot of late, going 11/43 in his last 10 games with three homers. Hunter Goodman has also been swinging a hot bat, going 8/30 with four homers in his last eight games.

For today’s Cardinals and Rockies matchup, we are leaning towards the Cardinals to pick up the win. As for how we would play the over/under line, we would go with the under, as this is projected to be the 10th lowest-scoring game of today’s slate. This one has the 7th lowest combined strikeout projection, and between the two starters, we have Ryan Feltner as the 7th lowest strikeout pitcher in today’s games.

Rockies’ Ryan Feltner Eyes Another Win vs. Cards in Opener

Colorado Rockies right-hander Ryan Feltner is aiming to continue his recent surge on the mound when he starts Tuesday night against the visiting St. Louis Cardinals. Feltner (3-10, 4.73 ERA) has won two of his last three starts after going nearly four months between victories. Now, he’ll try to secure his third win in four outings as the Rockies (60-96) kick off a three-game series against the Cardinals (79-77).

Feltner’s recent success includes a key victory last Wednesday, where he delivered 6 2/3 strong innings, allowing just one run against the Arizona Diamondbacks. In September, he’s posted a 1.96 ERA against teams that are either playoff-bound or still in postseason contention. This will be Feltner’s third career start against the Cardinals and his second this season. He’s 1-0 with a 4.09 ERA in those two outings, including a strong performance in St. Louis on June 8, when he struck out seven in 5 1/3 innings while allowing four unearned runs.

Rockies Hope to Avoid 100 Losses

The Rockies will need to finish their final homestand of the season with a 3-3 record to avoid consecutive 100-loss seasons. Colorado has been competitive in September, posting a 9-10 record, including series wins over the Milwaukee Brewers, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Chicago Cubs. However, they will be without their catcher, Hunter Goodman, who jammed his right thumb during Sunday’s 6-5 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

“My right hand didn’t get all the way behind the glove,” Goodman explained. “It kind of bounced and hit the top of my right thumb. I couldn’t really feel what was going on. Trying to hold the ball, I couldn’t grip it very well.”

Cardinals’ Disappointing Season Nears End

The St. Louis Cardinals, coming off a disappointing 2023 season in which they will miss the playoffs for the fifth time in nine years, are looking to finish the year on a positive note. The Cardinals won the National League Central in 2022, but this year have languished at the bottom of the division. Catcher Willson Contreras expressed frustration with the team’s struggles but remains focused on future improvements.

“The only thing we can control is show up next year and keep working,” Contreras said. “But as an organization, I think the Cardinals are one of the biggest organizations in baseball, and if I was them, if I was the front office, I’d have to be hungry to own this division.”

St. Louis will need to win three of its final six games to avoid a second straight losing season.

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Rookie McGreevy to Start for St. Louis

The Cardinals will turn to rookie right-hander Michael McGreevy (2-0, 0.90 ERA) to start Tuesday’s game. McGreevy impressed in his major league debut on July 31, allowing just one run over seven innings against the Texas Rangers. After that start, he was optioned back to Triple-A but was recalled last Wednesday, picking up his second win with three scoreless innings of relief against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Tuesday will mark McGreevy’s first major league start on the road, and his first appearance against the Rockies. The Cardinals hope the young pitcher can maintain his success in the challenging altitude of Denver’s Coors Field.