MLB Game Preview: Athletics (64-75) vs. St. Louis Cardinals (68-71)

Here’s your comprehensive, syndication‑ready preview for the Oakland Athletics vs. St. Louis Cardinals matchup — fully loaded for editorial, betting, and broadcast deployment.

Game Overview

• Date & Time: Tuesday, September 2, 2025 – First Pitch 7:45 p.m. ET
• Venue: Busch Stadium, 700 Clark Street, St. Louis, MO 63102
• Surface: Natural Grass
• Broadcast: FDSMW (Cardinals), NBCS-CA (Athletics), MLB.tv (out-of-market)

Weather Report (St. Louis, MO – Game Time)

• Conditions: Clear skies, warm evening
• Temperature: ~81°F (27°C)
• Wind: ~6–8 mph out to left-center — mild boost to RH pull hitters
• Precipitation: 0% chance
• Impact: Slightly hitter-friendly for fly balls to left

Injury Report

Athletics

• 10‑Day IL: Denzel Clarke (abductor), Max Muncy (hand)
• 15‑Day IL: Jacob Lopez (flexor), Jack Perkins (shoulder)
• 60‑Day IL: Luis Medina (elbow), Ben Bowden (lat), Austin Wynns (abdomen), Grant Holman (shoulder), Gunnar Hoglund (hip), Jose Leclerc (shoulder)

St. Louis Cardinals

• Day-to-Day: Riley O’Brien (RP)
• 7‑Day IL: Yohel Pozo (concussion)
• 10‑Day IL: Alec Burleson (wrist), Brendan Donovan (groin), Nolan Arenado (shoulder), Victor Scott II (ankle)
• 15‑Day IL: John King (back)
• 60‑Day IL: Zack Thompson (lat)

Team Records & Form

Recent Form:

• Athletics: Coming off an 11–3 win in Game 1; offense averaging 5.2 runs/game last 10; 6–4 ATS in that span.
• Cardinals: Dropped 2 straight; offense averaging 4.1 runs/game last 10; 3–7 ATS in that span.

Projected Starting Pitchers

• OAK: RHP Luis Severino (6–11, 4.82 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 103 K in 136.1 IP) – 9 quality starts; opponents hitting .261; 5.7 IP/start.
• STL: RHP Miles Mikolas (6–10, 5.04 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 86 K in 130.1 IP) – 7 quality starts; opponents hitting .276; 5.0 K/9.

Key Player Matchups

Athletics Offense vs. Mikolas

• Brent Rooker (.270, 27 HR, 79 RBI) – 35 doubles, 3 triples; 21st in MLB HRs.
• Tyler Soderstrom (.269, 23 HR, 74 RBI) – 3 RBI in Monday’s win.
• Shea Langeliers (.262, 28 HR, 61 RBI) – Team HR leader; .539 SLG.

Cardinals Offense vs. Severino

• Willson Contreras (.261, 20 HR, 74 RBI) – 62nd in MLB HRs, 43rd in RBI.
• Masyn Winn (.258, 27 2B, 9 HR) – Speed and gap power.
• Lars Nootbaar (.239, 13 HR, 54 BB) – OBP threat with moderate pop.

Series History

• All-Time: 19–19 overall (regular + postseason)
• Regular Season: Cardinals lead 13–12
• Recent: Cardinals took 2 of 3 in 2024; Athletics lead 1–0 in 2025 after Monday’s blowout win.
• Venue Note: Cardinals 9–12 at home vs. Athletics all-time.

Betting Trends

Athletics

• 15–17 as favorite (46.9% win rate)
• Over in 69 of 139 games (49.6%)
• 73–66 ATS overall

Cardinals

• 36–39 as underdog (48% win rate)
• Over in 71 of 138 games (51.4%)
• 70–68 ATS overall

Head-to-Head

• Over is 6–3 in last 9 meetings
• Athletics 4–2 in last 6 vs. Cardinals

Suggested Wagering Model

Model Inputs:

• Both starters with ERA >4.80 and WHIP >1.25
• Athletics’ power bats (190 HR, 6th MLB) vs. Cardinals’ low K-rate pitching staff
• Cardinals’ injuries to key bats (Arenado, Burleson, Donovan)
• Weather: mild boost to RH power