First pitch: Monday, 7:05 p.m. EDT
Line: St. Louis -130, Pittsburgh +120, Total: 8.5

The Cardinals will try to take advantage of the skidding Pirates on Monday night when the NL Central foes open a three-game series at PNC Park. Pittsburgh has lost 16 of 19 games, including seven straight at home.

St. Louis hopes Jake Westbrook can keep his road success going (5-1, 2.74 in past eight away from home). He’ll face James McDonald who is 0-2 with a 6.00 ERA in his past three starts. St. Louis is 14-5 as a road favorite of -125 to -150 and solid against right-handed starters (50-40). Pittsburgh is only 26-32 in home games and just 37-42 in night games. It would be a smart play to take almost any team against the Pirates right now and especially a ST. LOUIS club that is heating up for a playoff push with a 7-3 record in its past 10 games.

Some more FoxSheets trends favoring the Cardinals include this pair.

Play On - Road teams (ST. LOUIS) - with a starting pitcher whose WHIP is 1.450 to 1.550 on the season-NL, terrible speed team - averaging 0.35 or less SB's/game on the season. (49-29 over the last 5 seasons.) (62.8%, +35.3 units. Rating = 3*).

ST. LOUIS is 35-21 (62.5%, +11.9 Units) against the money line when the total is 8.5 to 10 this season. The average score was ST. LOUIS 5.2, OPPONENT 4.4 - (Rating = 1*).

Jake Westbrook (9-6, 4.74 ERA) is coming off a loss at home on Wednesday when he threw eight innings, allowing three runs, six hits and a season-high five walks, in a 5-1 defeat to Milwaukee. Westbrook hasn’t had too much success against Pittsburgh, going 0-2 with an 8.10 ERA in two career starts versus the Pirates, both last year. For the first time in franchise history, the Cardinals have the two top home-run leaders in the NL on their roster. Albert Pujols leads the NL with 29 homers and Lance Berkman has 28 HR, which is tied for second with Matt Kemp.

The Pirates were the top team in the NL Central on July 19, then went free-falling down the standings and currently find themselves 13 games back of the Brewers and eight behind St. Louis. James McDonald (7-6, 4.24 ERA) will try to stop the bleeding for Pittsburgh. McDonald looked poised to lead the Pirates after the All-Star break, starting the second half throwing 11.2 scoreless innings in two starts before his struggles in his past three outings. McDonald has had a tough time with the gopher ball of late, giving up seven homers in his past three starts. However, McDonald has been decent against the Cards in the past, going 1-1 with a 3.00 ERA and .224 opponents’ BA in six games (two starts).