MLB Baseball
2025-06-09 - Toronto Blue Jays at St Louis Cardinals
A Sports Betting Pick by FirstDown
United States : MLB Baseball
Monday 9th June 2025 - Scheduled 7:45pm
12:45am (British Time)
Preview
As we approach the halfway mark of the regular season, you would probably give the Toronto Blue Jays (35-30) a 'B-' grade, while the St Louis Cardinals (36-29) could be awarded an 'A-' if going on pre-season expectations.
This is the beginning of a three game series hosted by the National League Cardinals and they will be feeling better about things having taken two of three games from the Los Angeles Dodgers. They had dropped four of six games before that series on the West Coast and the St Louis Cardinals are back to within 4 games of Divisional leading Chicago Cubs.
Like the Cardinals, the Toronto Blue Jays won the series played over the weekend against the Minnesota Twins, but just like St Louis, they were beaten in the final game of the three game set. Despite that, the Blue Jays have been able to close the gap to American League East leaders the New York Yankees to 4.5 games thanks to wins in nine of the last eleven played.
The Blue Jays will look to Jose Berrios to get them back on the saddle having followed their previous defeat with a four game winning run. Jose Berrios has a 2-2 record and 3.67 ERA in thirteen starts made for Toronto this season and remains a consistent part of the starting rotation.
The pitcher has allowed just a single run across his last two starts, which have covered 12 Innings, and Berrios has been able to bounce back from a rough outing against the Tampa Bay Rays. He did not complete 6 Innings in giving up five runs to a Divisional rival, but Jose Berrios has completed that number of Innings in each of his last four starts and allowed a total of five runs across those.
Five starts have been made against the St Louis Cardinals and Jose Berrios holds a 3-0 record with a 3.16 ERA and he is playing well enough to set this up for the bullpen.
Run support would also help and the Blue Jays may feel they have a good match up against the starter that St Louis have selected for the game on Monday.
With a batting lineup that does not want to offer up strikeouts, the Blue Jays may feel they can get after a pitcher in Andre Pallante who wants to force outs through contact. That can be a dangerous plan and Andre Pallante has a 4-3 record with a 4.91 ERA in twelve starts made for the Cardinals this season.
After some solid performances in 2024, Andre Pallante has been given the chance in the St Louis starting rotation and he will be looking to recover from a rough opener in June. In that start against the Kansas City Royals last week, Pallante was roughed up for seven runs as he was withdrawn with one out secured in the 5th Inning.
He did not factor into the decision against Kansas City, but Andre Pallante has now allowed thirteen runs in just shy of 16 Innings completed across his last three starts.
This will be the second career start against the Toronto Blue Jays for Andre Pallante, although the sixth appearance. In the previous outings, the pitcher has a 0-0 record, but a 5.40 ERA in just shy of 7 completed Innings thrown.
It has been over two years since the Blue Jays last played in this ballpark and they were beaten in two of three games played.
Last year it was Toronto who hosted the Cardinals in a three game set and they were able to sweep all of those games.
Prediction
The key for the St Louis Cardinals is going to be how well they can play Defense with a pitcher like Andre Pallante on the mound.
However, it is also important for Pallante to show a bit more control on the mound and the Toronto Blue Jays can ride the momentum of their own starting pitcher to get back to winning ways as the narrow underdog.
The Pick :
St Louis Cardinals 4-5 Toronto Blue Jays
BEST BETTING TIP :
I'll back Toronto Blue Jays to Win at +100 with BetOnline
