If the St. Louis Cardinals are going to keep their season alive, they are going to have to come up with a win in Game 4 of their National League Division Series with the Atlanta Braves. The Cardinals looked like they were going to take a 2-1 series lead with a win on Sunday, but their bullpen let them down once again. St. Louis will host the Braves on Monday afternoon in what should be another terrific and exciting game in this NLDS.
St. Louis opened up the series with a 7-6 win over the Atlanta Braves, and things have been tight throughout this series. Atlanta stormed back with a 3-0 win in Game 2, and a huge come-from-behind 3-1 victory in Game 3 of the series. Both teams won their respective divisions this season, and they have been evenly matched in this one. The St. Louis Cardinals are +104 in this Game 4 matchup.
Cardinals Struggling to Score
The St. Louis Cardinals need to find some offense if they are going to keep their season alive. Scoring just one run total in the last two games is not a good formula for success and has them on the brink of elimination. Left fielder Marcell Ozuna is hitting .500 so far this series, and he was the only one that hit well in Game 3. St. Louis will need some offense in this game.
Dakota Hudson will get the start for St. Louis in this game, and he was absolutely dominant during the regular season. Hudson went 16-7 with a 3.35 earned run average in 33 starts, and the Cardinals are counting on a clutch performance from the youngster. St. Louis does not have a reliable bullpen, and Hudson might need to go all the way in this game.
Duvall Has Been Huge in the Clutch
Outfielder Adam Duvall has yet to see his name in the starting lineup, but he has been the MVP of this series for the Braves. Duvall hit a two-run pinch-hit home run in Game 2 and delivered the game-winning hit in Game 3 of the series. Atlanta has struggled to get its offense going so far this series, and they need to start scoring more runs. The Braves were one of the top offensive teams in the National League during the regular season, and they could use some more offense in this game.
The Atlanta Braves will be turning to Julio Teheran to make this start on Monday afternoon. Teheran actually led the Braves in innings pitched during the regular season and has been in their rotation for the last few seasons. The right-hander went just 10-11 this season but did have a very respectable ERA of 3.81. Atlanta still has a game to play with, but they will be aggressive with their pitching staff in Game 4.
Cardinals Force Decisive Game 5
This series has been extremely close and competitive, and don’t expect that to change in Game 4. All three of the games have been tight, and there isn’t much margin for error. The St. Louis Cardinals are a terrific home team, and they will find a way to extend this series with a Game 4 win. This game will be close, but St. Louis will come away with a win. Bet the St. Louis Cardinals +104 over the Atlanta Braves in Game 4 of the NLDS.
