The St. Louis Cardinals face off against the San Francisco Giants on Friday in the opening match of both teams’ final series of the 2024 MLB season. The game will take place at Oracle Park, with the first pitch scheduled for 7:15 p.m. PT.
The Giants are favored at -121 on the moneyline, and the total runs for the game are set at 7.5.
St. Louis (81-77 SU, 81-78 RL, and 72-81-6 O/U) will start right-hander Miles Mikolas. The 36-year-old pitcher has a record of 9-11 with a 5.35 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP over 31 games this season (166.2 innings pitched).
In contrast, San Francisco (79-80 SU, 78-81 RL, and 81-71-7 O/U) will send out righty Landen Roupp. The 26-year-old has a record of 1-1 with a 2.70 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP in 22 appearances, including three starts.
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Mikolas’ Track Record Against the Giants
In their recent series, St. Louis managed to win two out of three games against Colorado but faltered, losing 10-8 after giving up a three-run lead in the eighth inning on Thursday.
The Cardinals hold a 37-40 record on the road and are 48-45 in night games this season. They have a 13-9 record in September and a balanced 31-31 record since the All-Star break.
For St. Louis, Mikolas will take the mound on Friday. In his previous outing, he allowed just one run on four hits over six innings against Cleveland. He has a 7-5 record, a 4.59 ERA, and a 1.24 WHIP in 16 road starts. Earlier this season, Mikolas kept the Giants to four runs on six hits over six innings on June 22, boasting a solid 4-1 record with a 2.88 ERA in nine career games (34.1 innings) against them.
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Giants Aim for a Winning Record
San Francisco recently secured two out of three victories against the Diamondbacks and has played the role of spoiler against playoff contenders like Baltimore, Kansas City, and Arizona. The Giants are now focused on finishing the regular season with a winning record.
The Giants maintain a home record of 41-37 and a 44-50 record in night games. In September, they are 11-11 straight-up and 32-30 in the second half of the season.
On Friday, Roupp will be on the mound for the Giants. In his last start, the rookie pitched five scoreless innings against the Royals. He has an impressive 0.90 ERA and 0.90 WHIP in his September outings (20.0 innings) but a higher 4.34 ERA and 1.28 WHIP at home (29.0 innings) this year. Roupp will face the Cardinals for the first time in this matchup.
Strategic Bets for Cardinals vs. Giants
Recently, San Francisco ranks 10th in wOBA (.328) and 9th in wRC+ (112), building momentum as they aim for a winning record. Conversely, the Cardinals currently sit at 20th in wOBA (.291) and 19th in wRC+ (107) during the same period. Roupp’s recent performances show promise, particularly against playoff teams, where he allowed only two runs in 19 innings. Meanwhile, Mikolas has struggled, with opponents hitting .280 against him and a hard-hit percentage of 41.5%. Given these statistics, it appears likely that the Giants will secure a victory and move closer to a winning record as they open the series after a day off.
