Phillies Can Destroy Mikolas

Phillies vs. Cardinals, 2:15 ET

Something about weekend baseball just makes me happy. I don't know if it is that I get to sit around and crack open a cold one and watch a game, or that there are games all day long. I mean, I guess with college sports there are games all day in general. I'm not as avid of a baseball watcher as I am other sports because the games are usually too long (even with the approaches to shortening the games). I still try and flip one on when I have a break from everything else to watch a game. With that in mind, I'll put on the Phillies vs. Cardinals game and I'll try and win some money on it too.

The Phillies have been one of the best teams in the league for about three or more years now. I don't know exactly how far to go back with them, because honestly, it feels like they've at least been relevant since Chase Utley was manning second base and Ryan Howard was hitting bombs for them. Times have changed and now they have Trea Turner shuffling around the infield and Kyle Schwarber hitting moon shots for them. There team is loaded with offense and should have very few spurts of offensive struggles. They haven't struggled to score this season with at least four runs in over half of their games already. The question probably will be how well their pitching staff holds up this season. Today, they send out Christopher Sanchez to the hill in hopes of getting a game against the Cardinals. This will be his third start. In his first start, he went 5.1 innings and allowed just a solo homer. In the second start, it was a little bit tougher, going 5.2 innings and allowing two homers and four earned runs. He has held the Cardinals to just one hit in 13 at-bats against him, though.

ST LOUIS, MO - JUNE 14: Miles Mikolas #39 of the St. Louis Cardinals pitches against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the second game of a double header at Busch Stadium on June 14, 2022 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Joe Puetz/Getty Images)

The Cardinals are a team that I don't like to see succeed, but I am used to them doing it. Unfortunately, if you grow up a Cubs fan, you have to suffer through the success of St. Louis, and the annoyance of the White Sox. St. Louis is one of the teams that is hard to count out because the team seemingly finds a way to win no matter what. That hasn't been the case the last couple of years, but I'm still not quite ready to count them out. It has been an ugly stretch for them lately, with them allowing a stupid amount of runs to the Red Sox, and even the Pirates, over the last handful of games. It is up to Miles Mikolas to try and keep them in this game and avoid the bats of the Phillies. I've gone on the record on more than one occasion to say that I've been a Mikolas fan. However, he does have inconsistentcies and certainly struggles. His first start of the year was fine against the Angels. He went 5.1 innings and allowed just two earned runs. His next start against Boston was a disaster. He allowed eight earned in 2.2 innings on 11 hits. Phillies hitters have been great against him in the past as well, hitting .272 with seven homers over 180 at-bats.

There is no question to me about this one, the Phillies have the edge. I could see if you want to take the over and avoid any uniqueness from Sanchez, but I actually think he is a fairly decent pitcher. For me, I'm taking the Phillies first five on the run line, and I think I'll probably play the full game the same way as well. 

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