MLB Odds: Bumbling Braves return home

The Atlanta Braves are hoping a seven-game homestand will reverse their recent skid and move them back into first place in the NL East standings. The Braves are a major league-best 49-19 on their home turf.

The homestand begins Thursday with the opener of a four-game series against a slumping St. Louis Cardinals team that swept a four-game series at Busch Stadium against the Braves in April.

The Cardinals registered victories of 4-3, 5-4, 6-0 and 10-4. The first and third games ducked ‘under' the closing total, while the second and fourth matchups skipped ‘over' the number.

The finale of that series featured the Cards' Adam Wainwright against Atlanta's Jair Jurrjens. Ironically, that will be the matchup in Thursday's series opener.

Wainwright closed as a 165 favorite in that meeting and needed just 78 pitches to complete six innings and notch the victory. The 6-foot-7 right-hander limited the Braves to three runs on six hits while walking two and fanning four.

Jurrjens lasted just one inning after getting tagged for three runs on two hits (one homer) spanning just 14 pitches.

The 29-year-old Wainwright will be attempting to snap a personal four-game losing skid in this spot. However, the Cards have not provided Wainwright with more than three runs of support in any of those outings.

Wainwright is off last Saturday's 6-1 loss against Cincinnati as a 165 home favorite. He allowed five runs (two earned) on seven hits through just five innings spanning 83 pitches.

St. Louis is now 17-12 in Wainwright's first 29 starts, with the ‘under' going 14-12-3. He is 6-8 with a 3.15 ERA in 14 road assignments, compared to 11-2 with a sparkling 1.52 ERA in 12 home starts.

The Cardinals are a dismal 29-40 in their first 69 road dates, 5-7 in extra innings and 18-22 in one-run affairs.

The Braves saw their losing streak reach three games during Tuesday's 5-0 setback to the lowly Pirates. Coupled with Philadelphia's victory over Florida, Atlanta fell back into second place in the National League East, a half-game behind the Phillies.

Jurrjens' best outing of the season occurred last Saturday when he blanked Florida 2-0 as a 145 road underdog. The 24-year-old right-hander stymied the Marlins on three hits through seven innings spanning 99 pitches. He walked three batters and fanned seven.

The Braves are 12-6 in Jurrjens' first 18 starts, with the ‘under' going 11-7. Jurrjens is a perfect 6-0 with a nifty 2.15 ERA in eight home stars, compared to 1-4 with a 5.81 ERA in 10 road endeavors.

Atlanta is a sizzling 55-35 against right-handed starters, but just 6-7 in extra innings and 20-21 in 1-run affairs. The Braves own a plus-119 run differential by outscoring the opposition, 649-530.

Don't forget to check the weather report and the umpire assignments for all of Thursday's baseball action.