Phillies vs. Cardinals Preview: Odds, Pitching Matchup and Props for Aug. 12

After suffering a 2-0 loss the previous night, the Philadelphia Phillies will try to take their series with the St. Louis Cardinals at 2:15 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 12. Both teams have endured ups and downs since the All-Star Break, with the Phillies’ (64-57) hold on a wild card spot dwindling down to half a game; the Cardinals (60-60) sit 3.5 games back and have a number of teams to leapfrog.

Sending Zack Wheeler to the mound should give the Phillies an excellent shot at victory, but they weren’t able to muster any offense in support of Cristopher Sánchez on Tuesday. This time, they’ll face right-hander Kyle Leahy with the series on the line. As per usual, fans can catch the game on NBC Sports Philadelphia.

Betting Odds

• Moneyline: Philadelphia Phillies -160 / St. Louis Cardinals +144
• Run Line: Philadelphia Phillies -1.5 (+107) / St. Louis Cardinals +1.5 (-128)
• Over/Under: 8 (Over -111 / Under -108)

Weather

The midday first pitch will make for scorching conditions at Busch Stadium, with temperatures beginning around 94 degrees and climbing as high as 97. Humidity around 50 percent won’t help, and neither will the wind: after starting the game with a strong breeze between 10 to 17 miles per hour, it’ll tail off sharply to 3 mph as the game goes on.

Cloudy skies mean the UV index won’t climb much above 5, but it’s still going to be a rough day out in the elements for players and fans alike.

Pitching Matchup

After blanking the Phillies the previous night, the Cardinals will try to keep their defense rolling with Leahy (3.45 ERA, 112.1 innings pitched, 1.34 WHIP and 7.93 K/9) on the mound. The Phillies hold a career .214 average (3-for-14) against the right-hander with one double and three strikeouts.

Despite over a decade in the big leagues, Wheeler (2.69 ERA, 110.1 innings pitched, 0.98 WHIP and 10.77 K/9) has just 15 at-bats of experience against this young Cardinals lineup, more than half of them coming against Alec Burleson. St. Louis is 5-for-19 (.263 batting average) in those at-bats with a walk, a double and three strikeouts, but their youth movement — including players like rookie of the year candidate JJ Wetherholt — make for plenty of unknowns.

Phillies vs. Kyle Leahy

While the Phillies have struggled against Leahy, currently in his fourth season, there isn’t much data to draw on. Brandon Marsh (1-for-2 with a double), Alec Bohm (1-for-1) and J.T. Realmuto (1-for-1) are the only Philadelphia batters with a hit against the right-hander. The rest of the lineup is a combined 0-for-10, but none of them have faced him more than twice.

Leahy focuses on keeping the ball out of the air and records a moderate number of strikeouts, so the Phillies’ best chance of success comes from stringing together base hits and chasing him from the game early.

Props

Zach Wheeler’s strikeouts prop is normally a line to hammer, but the Cardinals’ ability to put the ball in play against him — again in a very limited sample size — leaves plenty to the unknown. Brandon Marsh’s double could make his total bases prop a solid play, while sluggers like Kyle Schwarber (+267 to hit a home run) could mix well in a parlay.

Leahy’s focus on groundball outs means the strikeout prop for Phillies’ batters is another prop to monitor.

Tidbits

• The Philadelphia Phillies have performed exceptionally well when playing as the favorite on the road this season, boasting a 23-11 record for a .676 win percentage.
• The St. Louis Cardinals have struggled slightly at Busch Stadium this season, holding a 31-34 home record (.477 winning percentage); the Phillies have a better road record (32-27) than they do at home.
• The Cardinals’ last ten games have trended toward the Under (60.0%), providing a notable contrast to the Phillies’ current tendency toward the Over.