Carpenter and Cardinals Open Series at Nationals
St. Louis is off to a losing start on its road trip after dropping two of three in Pittsburgh. The Cardinals will be heavy favorites with ace Chris Carpenter on the DC mound tonight.
Stephen Strasburg's return to the DL this week will mean baseball fans and bettors are denied a big-time pitching matchup Thursday night when the Washington Nationals host St. Louis in the opener of a four-game series. The mound battle that will take place still holds some intrigue, however.
Cardinals right-hander Chris Carpenter (20-7, 2.88) will try to get his squad off on winning note to begin the long weekend set. He'll be opposed by the future of Washington's staff before Strasburg came along as Jordan Zimmermann (0-0, 0.00) returns from a 13-month MLB absence to make his 2010 debut.
Early money lines at The Greek Sports Book had the Redbirds even 200 favorites. All early bird shops agreed on eight for the total and taxed the 'under.'
St. Louis comes into this series after dropping two straight in Pittsburgh to start a road trip in the hole, 1-2. The Cards fell Wednesday as 165 favorites, 5-2, a day after dropping a 4-3 decision as 230 chalk with Adam Wainwright on the hill. The Cardinals are down over 12 units despite being 12 games above .500 (68-56) thanks to some heavy chalk losses like Wainwright's two days ago.
Washington opens the series after being broomed by the Cubs to begin a homestand. Ryan Dempster blanked the Nats on Wednesday, 4-0, as a very small favorite. It was the fourth consecutive loss for Jim Riggleman's club, and third time in six games the Nationals have been shut out.
Carpenter was 240 chalk two starts ago at home to Carlos Zambrano and the Cubs. The big righty pitched ok – 6 IP, 3 ER – but Charlie Z and his bullpen combined to pitch better in a Chicago upset. Nine times this year Carpenter has been priced at 200 or higher, and he's won seven of them, the only other loss a minus 310 defeat to Bud 'Cardinals Killer' Norris and the Astros in mid-May.
One of the seven chalky wins was against the Nats in St. Louis in mid-May. Carpenter worked eight innings and allowed both Washington runs (one unearned) in a 3-2 win with a 260 MLB odds number. This will be his first start in DC since Sept. 2006 when the Nationals played in RFK.
Zimmermann takes to an major league mound for the first time since July 2009 when the Nationals dropped his last four starts before he hit the DL for Tommy John surgery. He had one bad outing first crack out of the box back in July for Hagerstown in the Sally League but has since tossed 34 2/3 innings and allowed one earned. That was a stair-step he made through High-A ball to Double-A and finally Triple-A Syracuse, nine starts in all.
No official word has been given – And could you really trust it? – but I don't expect him to throw more than 75 pitches. This isn't a Murderer's Row lineup he'll be facing, but expecting more than five innings from Zimmermann on Thursday is a dream.
That's not necessarily a bad thing. Though Matt Capps has shown some chinks in his closer's armor, the Washington bullpen is pretty doggone deep with Drew Storen, Tyler Clippard and Sean Burnett among others.
All signs point to a wonderful day in the nation's capital. Should be a rather comfortable upper-70s at first pitch, clear skies and a NNW wind around 10 mph (left-center to RF foul pole).
NOTE: W-L records displayed for starting pitchers are team records in games the pitchers start.
St. Louis is off to a losing start on its road trip after dropping two of three in Pittsburgh. The Cardinals will be heavy favorites with ace Chris Carpenter on the DC mound tonight.
Stephen Strasburg's return to the DL this week will mean baseball fans and bettors are denied a big-time pitching matchup Thursday night when the Washington Nationals host St. Louis in the opener of a four-game series. The mound battle that will take place still holds some intrigue, however.
Cardinals right-hander Chris Carpenter (20-7, 2.88) will try to get his squad off on winning note to begin the long weekend set. He'll be opposed by the future of Washington's staff before Strasburg came along as Jordan Zimmermann (0-0, 0.00) returns from a 13-month MLB absence to make his 2010 debut.
Early money lines at The Greek Sports Book had the Redbirds even 200 favorites. All early bird shops agreed on eight for the total and taxed the 'under.'
St. Louis comes into this series after dropping two straight in Pittsburgh to start a road trip in the hole, 1-2. The Cards fell Wednesday as 165 favorites, 5-2, a day after dropping a 4-3 decision as 230 chalk with Adam Wainwright on the hill. The Cardinals are down over 12 units despite being 12 games above .500 (68-56) thanks to some heavy chalk losses like Wainwright's two days ago.
Washington opens the series after being broomed by the Cubs to begin a homestand. Ryan Dempster blanked the Nats on Wednesday, 4-0, as a very small favorite. It was the fourth consecutive loss for Jim Riggleman's club, and third time in six games the Nationals have been shut out.
Carpenter was 240 chalk two starts ago at home to Carlos Zambrano and the Cubs. The big righty pitched ok – 6 IP, 3 ER – but Charlie Z and his bullpen combined to pitch better in a Chicago upset. Nine times this year Carpenter has been priced at 200 or higher, and he's won seven of them, the only other loss a minus 310 defeat to Bud 'Cardinals Killer' Norris and the Astros in mid-May.
One of the seven chalky wins was against the Nats in St. Louis in mid-May. Carpenter worked eight innings and allowed both Washington runs (one unearned) in a 3-2 win with a 260 MLB odds number. This will be his first start in DC since Sept. 2006 when the Nationals played in RFK.
Zimmermann takes to an major league mound for the first time since July 2009 when the Nationals dropped his last four starts before he hit the DL for Tommy John surgery. He had one bad outing first crack out of the box back in July for Hagerstown in the Sally League but has since tossed 34 2/3 innings and allowed one earned. That was a stair-step he made through High-A ball to Double-A and finally Triple-A Syracuse, nine starts in all.
No official word has been given – And could you really trust it? – but I don't expect him to throw more than 75 pitches. This isn't a Murderer's Row lineup he'll be facing, but expecting more than five innings from Zimmermann on Thursday is a dream.
That's not necessarily a bad thing. Though Matt Capps has shown some chinks in his closer's armor, the Washington bullpen is pretty doggone deep with Drew Storen, Tyler Clippard and Sean Burnett among others.
All signs point to a wonderful day in the nation's capital. Should be a rather comfortable upper-70s at first pitch, clear skies and a NNW wind around 10 mph (left-center to RF foul pole).
NOTE: W-L records displayed for starting pitchers are team records in games the pitchers start.