Snakes Will Bite Down On Cards

Cardinals vs. Diamondbacks, 7:15 ET

Baseball is back, and I wasted no time losing my first bet of the second half. I'm writing this article as the game is still going on, it is the only afternoon game on the slate, but I liked the no runs in the first inning - the only bet I've made this season on that type. I also put together a parlay of that nature for yesterday's slate, with that bet losing the parlay before it even had a leg to stand on. Of course, I'm sure the remaining legs will hit. Let's avoid that type of luck and nonsense today as the Cardinals take on the Diamondbacks. 

The Cardinals are in a bit of no-mans land at the moment. They are probably good enough to make the playoffs, but it will be a challenge. They could invest in the team and take on rental players for prospects, but do they really want to do that if they aren't certain they will make it to the postseason? I always say it is worth it, as the old adage about poker goes, "All you need is a chip and a chair." The problem is that a lot of teams still have access to the same chips and chairs that the Cardinals are searching for, so the potential of them getting them is fairly low. Sonny Gray will be taking the mound for the Cardinals today and he always brings the opportunity for a victory for the Cardinals. For the season. Gray is 9-3 with a 3.50 ERA, and a 1.08 WHIP. If he were made available for whatever reason, he would bring a pretty decent haul back for St. Louis. He has been worse on the road, with an ERA that is almost two full runs higher away than at home. Diamondbacks hitters have been pretty successful against Gray in the past, going 20-for-68 collectively. 

St. Louis Cardinals LHP Sonny Gray throws against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium in Anaheim. (Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)

The Diamondbacks are in an even worse position than the Cardinals. They are currently in fourth place of the National League West, arguably the best division in all of baseball. The reality is that Arizona will not capture the Dodgers for the division barring some sort of epic collapse. So, that leaves only the Wild Card as an option. The team has been hampered a bit by injury, but I really wouldn't say it is much more than any other club. It will be interesting to see what they do for the remainder of the season. There are a lot of scouts watching the Diamondbacks games, that's for certain. I don't think today's starter, Ryne Nelson would be on the move - he's mostly a reliever/starter combo pitcher - but perhaps someone will try and grab him for their roster. Nelson is the owner of a 3.68 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP. He has pitched significantly better at home than he has on the road - almost a three earned run difference in favor of his home mound. Cardinals hitters have done well against him, though, with eight hits in 25 attempts.

If I had to guess, I feel like the Cardinals are more likely to remain in the race than the Diamondbacks. I think Arizona knows this is a pretty significant uphill battle, but that also doesn't really matter. You don't have to throw in the towel just because it will be an unlikely playoff appearance. I'm going to back the Diamondbacks in this game. I don't like Arizona's bullpen, so I'll take just the first five innings. Gray has been rough on the road and Nelson has been pretty good at home. Take the snakes to bite the Cardinals. 

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