Flaherty, Cardinals -125 Favorites Over Foltynewicz, Braves in NLDS Game 2 – Pick & Odds

• The St. Louis Cardinals are slim -125 favorites over the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS Game 2 odds
• The Cardinals opened the series with a 7-6 victory in Game 1 on Thursday
• Desperate to avoid a 2-0 series deficit, the Braves enter Game 2 as +105 home underdogs

The St. Louis Cardinals will be looking to take a commanding 2-0 series lead in their ALDS matchup with Atlanta when they take on the Braves in Game 2 on Friday afternoon. With Jack Flayerty on the mound, the Cardinals vs Braves Game 2 odds position St. Louis as a -125 road favorite.

Cardinals vs Braves Odds – Game 2

*Odds taken 10/04/19

Game 1 Win Snaps Cardinals Postseason Road Slide

The Cardinals drew first blood in the series on Thursday, holding off a ninth-inning rally by the Braves to post a 7-6 victory (and pay out as +130 underdogs). Thursday’s victory marks the Cardinals’ first win on the road in postseason action since 2014, ending a six-game slide.

While St. Louis is now listed as a -230 favorite to win the series, the club still has work to do to overcome their recent shaky performance in dates with the Braves. The Cardinals have posted consecutive wins on just one occasion while going 5-9 in 14 overall meetings with Atlanta since August 2017.

But if his recent starts are any indication, the 23-year-old Flaherty looks to be up to the task. Flaherty has been a dominating presence on the mound of late, limiting opposing hitters to one or fewer earned runs in 14 of 16 starts since early July, and compiling a 7-3 record during that stretch.

Flaherty has been a dominating presence on the mound of late, limiting opposing hitters to one or fewer earned runs in 14 of 16 starts since early July, and compiling a 7-3 record during that stretch.

Flaherty also impressed in a pair of starts against Atlanta this season, limiting the Braves to just three hits and three earned runs over 6.0 innings back on May 14. Two weeks later, Flaherty shut out the Braves in a three-hit, six-inning performance in a contest that the Cardinals would go on to lose 4-3.

Run Support Lacking with Flaherty on the Mound

However, the Cardinals have failed to give Flaherty steady run support. The club marched to an easy 9-0 win over a demoralized Chicago Cubs squad in Flaherty’s last start on the final day of the regular season, but generated just 13 total runs over the six previous games that the third-year hurler has started.

Jack Flaherty in his last 15 starts:

99.1 IP
0.91 ERA
23 BB
124 K

He has allowed 10 earned runs since the All-Star Break.

No other pitcher in baseball has allowed less than 15 since then. (min 80 IP)

— Connor Looker (@HotStoveStats) September 29, 2019

Containing opposing hitters has emerged as a challenge for the Cardinals in recent outings regardless of who’s on the mound. The club has surrendered 50 total runs over their past nine contests, and 6.2 runs per game over their past five, generating a 5-0 run for the OVER in runs total betting.

Braves Ride Losing Streak into Game 2

The Braves will be desperate to avoid going down 2-0 in the series when they return to action in Friday afternoon’s contest at SunTrust Park pegged as +105 home underdogs on the Cardinals vs Braves Game 2 odds.

Dropping another series opening game Thursday vs the Cardinals (after leading 3-1 as late as the 8th inning), the #Braves already-record streak of futility in Game 1s of a #Postseason series went into double digits pic.twitter.com/iABNj63zlM

— StatsCentre (@StatsCentre) October 4, 2019

With Thursday’s loss, the Braves have now fallen to defeat in four straight contests, and six of seven overall. The loss also extends Atlanta’s dismal postseason record in recent years. The Braves have failed to earn a series victory in eight previous postseason appearances since 2002, and own a dismal 4-14 record in 18 October contests since the start of the 2005 postseason.

Atlanta has also struggled badly down the stretch, with Thursday’s defeat extending their current losing streak to four games, and their overall record to just 4-9 over their past 13 contests. However, the Braves have been a reliable bet in Game 2 situations, posting wins in eight of their past nine, and are 10-2 over their past 12 when hosting a Game 2.

Foltynewicz Steady Since Recall to Atlanta

Mike Foltynewicz gets the call for the Braves on Friday. The 27-year-old has been steady since being called up from the minors in early August, allowing one or fewer earned runs in five of his past seven starts, and compiling a 6-1 record since his return.

"This year, I had to prove a lot of people wrong."

— Mike Foltynewicz on being named to @Braves postseason rotation after a season that saw him spend time in Triple-A.#RELENTLESS | #Braves pic.twitter.com/EizvftGGPA

— FOX Sports: Braves (@FOXSportsBraves) October 3, 2019

Foltynewicz has produced uneven results against St. Louis, going 3-4 in seven starts, and surrendering six or more earned runs on four occasions, but turned in a strong five-hit, one-earned run performance to earn the win in a 5-2 victory over the Cardinals back on May 24.

Pick: Cardinals to win (-125), UNDER 8.5 runs (-115)