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At 1:35 PM ET, the Cardinals and Yankees square off in an interleague matchup. This one is being played at Yankee Stadium in New York, and the Yankees are the heavy favorites on the money line, with their odds sitting at -206. The Cardinals are +172 on the money line, and the over/under line is at 9 runs.
YES will be televising Sunday’s game, and Nestor Cortes will be on the mound for the Yankees. The Cardinals are starting Miles Mikolas, and they are 3rd in the NL Central with a record of 68-68.
St. Louis vs. New York Key Information
- Teams: Cardinals at Yankees
- Where: Yankee Stadium New York
- Date: Sunday, September 1st
- Betting Odds NYY -206 | STL +172 O/U 9
The Cardinals Can Win If…
Right-hander Miles Mikolas gets the start for the Cardinals today as he faces the Yankees on the road. He has made 27 starts this season and has a record of 8-10 with an ERA of 5.23. Mikolas’ WHIP for the season is currently 1.26. In his last outing, he finished with a no-decision, giving up four earned runs in 5 2/3 innings of work. Looking back over his last three outings, Mikolas has finished with a no-decision in each one. He has allowed at least four earned runs in each of those outings.
For the season, the Cardinals are batting .247, which is 9th in the league. However, they have been one of the worst offensive teams in the league in terms of scoring runs, averaging just 4.1 runs per game. This has been even worse on the road, where they are averaging only 3.9 runs per game.
Paul Goldschmidt has been hot of late, going 12/22 in his last six games with six RBIs. He also comes into the game on a seven-game hitting streak. Alec Burleson has a team-high 21 homers this season and is batting .281. Masyn Winn has gone 9/25 in his last six games and is batting .282 for the season.
- The Cardinals are 6-4 in their last ten games.
- Over their last five games, the Cardinals are 3-2 vs. the run line.
- St. Louis has an over/under record of 4-6 in their last ten games.
- The Cardinals have an average of 4.4 runs per game over their last five games.
- Across their last ten road games, the Cardinals are 4-6
- Looking back across the Cardinals last five games as the favorite, they are 1-4
- St. Louis has gone 2-1 in their last three games as the underdog
- In their ten most recent road games, the Cardinals have averaged 3.3 runs per game on offense
The Yankees Can Win If…
New York is starting Nestor Cortes today vs. the Cardinals, and he comes into the game with a record of 8-10 and an ERA of 3.89. So far this season, he has made 27 starts and 12 of them have been quality starts. Cortes has a WHIP of 1.14 and is averaging 8.25 strikeouts per nine innings. In his last outing, he gave up just one earned run in 6 2/3 innings of work. Before that, he had three straight starts without giving up an earned run. Cortes has won three straight starts.
Heading into today’s game, the Yankees are the top-scoring offense in the league, averaging 5.1 runs per game. They have been even better on the road, averaging 5.3 runs per contest. New York is also the top home run hitting team in the league and have the best team on-base percentage in the league. As a team, they are also 2nd in slugging and have the best OPS in the league.
Aaron Judge has been the league’s best power hitter this season, as his 51 homers lead the league. He also comes into the game with a team-high 123 RBIs and is batting .330 for the season. Over his last eight games, Judge has three homers and is batting .259. Juan Soto is also having a strong season, as he is batting .292 with 37 homers.
- The Yankees are 6-4 in their last ten games.
- Over their last five games, the Yankees are 2-3 vs. the run line.
- New York has an over/under record of 5-5 in their last ten games.
- The Yankees have an average of 4.0 runs per game over their last five games.
- Across their last ten home games, the Yankees are 5-5
- Looking back across the Yankees last five games as the favorite, they are 2-3
- New York has gone 2-1 in their last three games as the underdog
- In their ten most recent road games, the Yankees have averaged 3.6 runs per game on offense
Yankees Look to Secure Series Win and Start September Strong Against Cardinals
As the New York Yankees enter the final month of the regular season, they’re focused on maintaining their position at the top of the American League East. Despite some ups and downs, the Yankees are determined to kick off September on a high note as they host the St. Louis Cardinals in the finale of a three-game series on Sunday afternoon.
Yankees’ Recent Performance and Outlook
The Yankees (79-57) are eyeing their fourth consecutive home series victory, looking to improve their record to 7-4 over the last 11 games. They started the series strong with a 6-3 win on Friday, thanks to two powerful two-run homers from Austin Wells. However, a late rally fell short in Saturday’s 6-5 loss, despite a clutch bases-clearing double by Giancarlo Stanton in the eighth inning. The game ended when Wells struck out with two men on in the ninth, highlighting a day where the Yankees collected seven of their 12 hits in the final two innings.
“It’s not been easy, but we’re in a great position,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “We’re sitting atop the division, best record or right around there in the league. It’s definitely been a grind for us, but it’s right there for the taking.”
The Yankees are also hopeful for the return of Anthony Rizzo, who has been sidelined since mid-June with a broken right forearm. Rizzo, who was hitting .223 with eight homers and 28 RBIs in 70 games, is expected to be activated on Sunday after completing five rehab games.
Cardinals Seeking to Build Momentum
The Cardinals (68-68) have had a tough run, going 8-11 in their last 19 games. However, Saturday’s win broke a long drought against the Yankees, marking their first regular-season victory in New York since Game 5 of the 1964 World Series. Brendan Donovan led the charge with a three-run homer in the third inning, giving the Cardinals a 4-3 lead they wouldn’t relinquish. Donovan’s 11th homer of the season tied his career high, and he reflected on the significance of the win.
“Any day you hit a home run, I consider that a good day, and to have a couple of people on base and to give us a little bit of breathing room, I think is good,” Donovan said. “Someone said that’s the first time we’ve won here in 60 years, which is pretty special for this organization.”
Nolan Arenado also contributed with an RBI single ahead of Donovan’s homer and ended August with a solid .294 average, four homers, and 18 RBIs.
Pitching Matchup
Yankees left-hander Nestor Cortes (8-10, 3.89 ERA) is set to take the mound, aiming for his fourth consecutive win—something he hasn’t achieved since May-June 2022. Cortes has been in top form recently, boasting a 3-0 record with an 0.44 ERA in his last three starts. He delivered seven scoreless innings against both the Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Guardians before allowing just one run on four hits in 6 2/3 innings during Monday’s 5-2 win over the Washington Nationals.
Cortes will be facing the Cardinals for the second time in his career. In their previous meeting on August 5, 2022, he took a no-decision after allowing two runs on one hit in 5 1/3 innings.
The Cardinals will counter with right-hander Miles Mikolas (8-10, 5.23 ERA), who is looking to snap a six-start winless streak. Mikolas hasn’t won since July 21 and has struggled with a 6.03 ERA over his last six starts. He is coming off a no-decision against the San Diego Padres on Tuesday, where he allowed four runs on six hits in 5 2/3 innings. Mikolas will be making his second career start against the Yankees; he earned a win for the Texas Rangers in July 2014, allowing two runs on four hits over 7 1/3 innings.
Game Outlook
As the Yankees aim to close out the series and start September on a high note, they will rely on the in-form Nestor Cortes to lead the way. Meanwhile, the Cardinals will look to build on Saturday’s win and hope for a strong performance from Miles Mikolas to keep their momentum going. Sunday’s game is crucial for both teams as they seek to strengthen their positions heading into the final stretch of the season.
The Lean
Our lean for a money-line pick in this Yankees vs. Cardinals matchup is to take the Cardinals to win. We are also leaning towards taking the over, as this is projected to be the 3rd lowest-scoring game of the day, and this one has the 2nd lowest combined strikeout projection. Nestor Cortes is our 10th ranked starting pitcher in terms of strikeouts today, but we still like the Cardinals to come out on top.
