Daily Rant: Cardinals start second half with three game set with Reds

The Cardinals open up the second half of the MLB season today with game one of a three game stand in Cincinnati. This series is a great way for the Cardinals to try to overtake the Reds for second place in the division so they can set their sights on division-leading Pittsburgh. The Cardinals will send out Adam Wainwright, who certainly hopes to have a better second half, against Mat Latos. Wainwright is 7-8 this season with a 4.56 ERA. In his career against the Reds, he has three wins in nine starts and a 4.25 ERA. His numbers are similar in Great American  Ballpark where he has two wins in five starts to go with a 4.24 ERA. Mat Latos is 7-2 this season with a 4.13 ERA. This is his fourth start against St Louis and he has not pitched particularly well against them. In four starts, he has one win and three losses to go with a 11.37 ERA. In his last start against St Louis on April 18, He gave up eight earned runs in only five and two thirds innings. Because neither pitcher has a track record of success against the opposing team, this is a very tough one to call. Game time is set for 6:15.

Standings

Three Star Standings

If you’ve been reading the daily recaps, you obviously know about Redbird Rants Three Stars. Each game, we choose who the top three performers are and award them either the third, second, or first star. To determine who has come through in the most games, these stars have been given point values. A first star is worth five points, a second star is worth three, and a third star is worth one. Since we are at the halfway point, it’s a great time to look at the standings and see who has been the most clutch for the St Louis Cardinals.