Lauer's Struggles Hand Cardinals the Runway Line in Chavez Ravine

The Cardinals roll into Dodger Stadium on September 1st catching LA at the perfect time—with Eric Lauer on the bump. Lauer's been batting practice all season, sporting a bloated 6.69 ERA and 1.49 WHIP that makes him the weak link in an otherwise solid Dodgers rotation. Meanwhile, St. Louis counters with Michael McGreevy, who's been quietly effective at 3.86 ERA and 1.25 WHIP. That's a 2.83 ERA gap, folks, and in a sport measured in tenths, that chasm is the Grand Canyon.

Sure, the Dodgers own the better team ERA and home field, but their recent Chavez Ravine offense has been anemic—averaging just 3.17 runs per game at home with a pedestrian 4-2 record. They're grinding out wins, not blowing teams away. The Cardinals caught them back in May and took a 4-1 loss, but that was four months and a different pitching matchup ago.

DarkHorse likes Cardinals +1.5 here, and it's hard to argue. You're getting a run-and-a-half cushion with the better starter in a park where LA's bats have been sleepwalking. McGreevy keeps it close, the bullpens trade zeroes, and suddenly you're sweating a one-run game—or better yet, a Cardinals upset. Lauer's leash should be short, but the damage may already be done.