Colorado Rockies vs St. Louis Cardinals Picks and Predictions September 26th 2024

At 3:10 PM ET, the Cardinals and Rockies face off in an NL matchup. This one is being played at Coors Field in Denver, and the Cardinals are favored on the money line (-129). The Rockies are +109 at the moment, and the over/under line is sitting at 10.5 runs.

St. Louis will be looking to keep their four-game winning streak alive, as they are 81-77 and 2nd in the NL Central. The Rockies are 5th in the NL West with a record of 60-98. Kyle Gibson will start for the Cardinals, and he is facing off against Kyle Freeland for the Rockies. BSMW is carrying this game on TV.

St. Louis vs. Colorado Key Information

Kyle Gibson gets the start for the Cardinals today as he faces the Rockies on the road. So far this season, he has made 29 starts and has a record of 8-8 with an ERA of 4.13. Looking at his overall numbers, Gibson has a WHIP of 1.33 and has pitched 165 2/3 innings. Out of his 29 starts, Gibson has turned in 13 quality starts. In his last outing, he took the loss, giving up three earned runs on six hits in six innings of work. Before that, he had given up at least one homer in three straight outings.

So far this season, the Cardinals offense has been pretty average in terms of batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage. However, they are just 23rd in runs per game and have the 22nd home run total in the league. As a team, they are averaging 4.1 runs per game and have been slightly better at home, averaging 4.2 runs per contest.

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Over the team’s last four games, Iván Herrera has been hot, going 5/10 with four runs scored and a home run. For the season, Alec Burleson and Paul Goldschmidt are tied for the team lead with 21 home runs. Goldschmidt is batting just .241, and Burleson is at .266. Brendan Donovan is batting .272 and has driven in 69 runs this season.

Kyle Freeland will be looking to bounce back from a rough outing against the Dodgers, where he took the loss. In that start, he gave up four earned runs in six innings of work. Looking back over his last four outings, Freeland has finished with a no-decision, win, loss, and loss. His ERA for the season is 4.95, along with a record of 5-8. Opponents are batting .274 off the left-hander this season. Overall, he has made 20 starts, 10 of which were quality starts. Per nine innings, Freeland is averaging 6.69 strikeouts and just 2.06 walks.

So far this season, the Rockies are averaging 4.2 runs per game, which is 19th in the league. However, they have been a much better offensive team at home, averaging 4.9 runs per game. As a team, the Rockies are batting just .241, which is 15th in the league, and they are also near the bottom of the league in strikeouts and walks.

Ezequiel Tovar and Michael Toglia are tied for the team lead with 25 home runs apiece. Tovar has been the better hitter overall, batting .265 compared to Toglia’s mark of .214. Tovar has also gone 9/30 in his last seven games, including one home run. Charlie Blackmon has also been swinging a hot bat of late, going 7/18 in his last five games.

Our lean for a money line pick in this Cardinals vs. Rockies matchup is to take the Rockies to come out on top. We are also leaning towards the under, as this is projected to be the 5th highest-scoring game of today’s slate, and our lean is for this one to finish under the over/under line of 10.5 runs. Looking at today’s starters, we have Kyle Freeland as the better strikeout option over Kyle Gibson for the Cardinals.

With Eye on Winning Season, Cards Chase Series Sweep of Rockies

Although the St. Louis Cardinals won’t be making the playoffs this season, they are determined to end the year on a positive note. Following Wednesday night’s 5-2 victory over the Colorado Rockies, the Cardinals (81-77) have guaranteed that they will finish the season at least .500. Now, they will look to clinch a winning record when they face the Rockies in the final game of their three-game series on Thursday in Denver.

A series sweep would not only secure a winning season for the Cardinals, but it would also give them momentum heading into the offseason.

Gibson Set to Take the Mound for St. Louis

St. Louis will send right-hander Kyle Gibson (8-8, 4.13 ERA) to the mound on Thursday. Gibson has been solid in his career against the Rockies, posting a 2-0 record with a 3.75 ERA in four previous starts. His last outing against Colorado was back in 2020, so this will be his first time facing the team in over three years.

Meanwhile, the Rockies will counter with left-hander Kyle Freeland (5-8, 4.95 ERA), who will be making his 21st and final start of the season. Freeland has dealt with injury issues this year, but he has performed admirably since returning from the injured list in late June. He has yet to win against the Cardinals in six career starts, going 0-3 with a 4.54 ERA.

Cardinals Look to Bright Future Despite Playoff Miss

While missing the postseason is a disappointment for a franchise with St. Louis’ rich history, there are reasons for optimism heading into next year. The Cardinals have seen significant contributions from young players such as Masyn Winn and Jordan Walker, both of whom have been key members of the lineup this season.

Winn, who has taken over the leadoff spot, had a breakout game on Tuesday, hitting a home run, a double, and driving in a career-high four runs. He followed that up with a double and a triple in Wednesday’s win.

“I’m pretty excited going into next year,” Winn said. “We’ve got a good, young group to really build around. Obviously, this year we’re not going to be able to go anywhere, but going into next year, I think it’s great for our confidence.”

Rockies Look to Build on Promising Second Half

The Colorado Rockies (60-98) have also embraced a youth movement, but their results have not translated into as many wins. The Rockies began the season with a dismal 8-28 start but have shown some improvement in the second half, posting a 28-35 record since the All-Star break.

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However, their offense has struggled at times, especially in a season where they are 11th in the National League in runs scored (655), despite playing their home games in hitter-friendly Coors Field.

“Offensively, it hasn’t been the year we’ve hoped for,” Rockies manager Bud Black said after Wednesday’s loss. “To have a good year offensively, you need a significant number of the roster having a good year. This season there hasn’t been enough guys who are having the type of season we anticipated.”

Freeland, who has battled through injuries and a nagging blister issue this year, will be looking to end his season on a high note.