For the first game of Monday's slate, the New York Mets will be in St. Louis to take on the Cardinals.
The matchup is a make-up game from May 8, and it comes at an important time. The two clubs currently occupy the first two slots behind Arizona for the third NL wild-card spot.
The Mets are coming off a series loss to the Angels, while the Cardinals lost three out of four to the rival Cubs.
To right the ship, the teams will turn to Sean Manaea and Andre Pallante, respectively. We may see the starters find a bit of success early before the bats wake up.
Read on for my four-leg Mets vs. Cardinals same-game parlay for Monday, Aug. 5.
Alex Hinton's Mets vs Cardinals Same-Game Parlay
- First Inning Result: Tie (-125)
- Willson Contreras To Record 2 Total Bases (+105)
- Francisco Lindor To Record A Hit (-320)
- Nolan Arenado To Record A Hit (-230)
Parlay Odds: +696 (FanDuel)
Remember to bet responsibly — this is a long shot for a reason.
SGP Pick #1: First-Inning Result
Tie (-125)
Pallante will be making his first career start against the Mets tonight. However, he has found success against them as a reliever with a 0.93 ERA in 9 2/3 innings over seven games. He also has a 1.80 ERA in the first inning this season.
On the other side, Sean Manaea has also enjoyed plenty of success early. In 21 starts, he has a 1.29 ERA in the first inning, which is his best in any of the first seven frames.
Now, he can struggle with control early. He has issued 11 walks in both the first and second innings this season, but he has found ways to pitch out of jams when necessary.
The Cardinals have not allowed a run in the first inning in 67 of their 112 (59%) games this season, while the Mets haven't allowed a run in the first inning in 71 of their 111 (63%) games.
The Mets will also have to travel to this game from Anaheim. While the Cardinals were not far away in Chicago last night, they were playing in the final game of the day on Sunday Night Baseball.
These factors may contribute to the bats starting a bit slow and the NRFI cashing. However, playing a first-inning tie instead provides the Cardinals the opportunity to match the Mets' total if runs are scored in the first inning.
SGP Pick #2: Willson Contreras
2+ Total Bases (+105)
Taking on his former team to begin the month did not lead to much success for Willson Contreras, as he went 2-for-15 in the series against the Cubs.
However, he did single on Saturday and Sunday and now has recorded a hit in seven of his last 10 games. Tonight, he may tap into his extra-base power.
Contreras has faced Manaea eight times in his career. All four of his hits against him have gone for extra bases with two doubles and two home runs, and he has driven in four runs as well.
Contreras has also fared better against left-handed pitching this season, as he's hitting .281 with five doubles, three home runs and a .941 OPS against southpaws.
Additionally, Contreras has two homers, a double and one two-hit game over his past 10 games. Any one of those three options will give him at least two total bases tonight.
SGP Picks #3 & 4: Francisco Lindor & Nolan Arenado
To Record a Hit
After missing just three games over the last two years, Francisco Lindor has yet to miss a game this season.
Oftentimes, he finds himself on base in some capacity.
Lindor has a hit in six of his last seven games and 12 of his last 15. While he's hitting .252 against right-handed pitchers this season, Lindor has hit .296 over the past month. He's also 2-for-6 against Pallante in his career.
With 22 home runs and a 4.7 WAR, Lindor had a case to be named an All-Star for the fifth time this season.
Another perennial All-Star in tonight's game is Nolan Arenado. While he hasn't had one of his vintage seasons, Arenado has come alive of late. Over the last week, the Cardinals' third-baseman has a hit in five of his last six games while hitting .348 in that span.
Arenado is a career .299 hitter with exactly 100 home runs against left-handed pitchers. One of those home runs came against Manaea, who he's 3-for-9 against overall. A single will suffice tonight, and hopefully it'll cash the final leg of this parlay.
