St. Louis Cardinals vs Toronto Blue Jays Picks and Prediction for Sunday August 2 2026

The St. Louis Cardinals and Toronto Blue Jays conclude their three-game series Sunday afternoon at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario. First pitch is scheduled for 1:37 p.m. ET, with coverage available on Sportsnet, Cardinals.TV and MLB.TV. At the time of this writing the odds were not released. For more betting analysis across Sunday’s schedule, check out our free MLB picks.

Starting Pitchers

St. Louis is scheduled to start Michael McGreevy, who enters with a 4-9 record, a 3.57 ERA and 76 strikeouts. Toronto will counter with Max Scherzer, who is 1-4 with a 9.49 ERA and 18 strikeouts. McGreevy owns the substantially stronger statistical profile, giving the Cardinals an important starting-pitching advantage despite their recent struggles.

St. Louis Searches for an Offensive Breakthrough

The Cardinals entered Saturday with a 54-56 overall record and a 26-24 mark away from home. St. Louis had lost four of its previous five games, including Friday’s 3-1 defeat in Toronto. The Cardinals produced only three hits in that series opener and have been held to three runs or fewer in four of their last five contests.

St. Louis entered the weekend batting .238 with 477 runs, 877 hits and 113 home runs. The Cardinals carried a .314 on-base percentage and a .377 slugging percentage. Their season-long offensive numbers have been modest, and the recent lack of production has made it difficult for the pitching staff to operate with much margin for error.

The Cardinals’ clearest path to victory is taking advantage of Sunday’s favorable starting-pitching matchup. Scherzer’s 9.49 ERA creates an opportunity for St. Louis to establish an early lead after struggling against Toronto’s pitching Friday. McGreevy does not need a flawless performance, but another quiet offensive showing would waste the Cardinals’ most obvious advantage.

Toronto Attempts to Protect Its Home Field

Toronto entered Saturday at 51-59 overall, including a 25-31 record at Rogers Centre. The Blue Jays had won three of their previous five games after opening the series with Friday’s 3-1 victory. Toronto broke a 1-1 tie with two runs in the eighth inning and held St. Louis scoreless over the final four frames.

The Blue Jays entered the weekend batting .243 with 433 runs, 898 hits and 107 home runs. Toronto had a .305 on-base percentage and a .380 slugging percentage. The Blue Jays hold a slight advantage in batting average, total hits and slugging percentage, but they had scored 44 fewer runs than the Cardinals entering Saturday.

Toronto’s primary concern is preventing the game from getting away during the early innings. Scherzer’s 1-4 record and 9.49 ERA leave the Blue Jays with considerable uncertainty on the mound. Their bullpen handled Friday’s late innings effectively, but Toronto must remain close enough for those relievers to influence Sunday’s outcome. If the Cardinals build an early multi-run advantage, the Blue Jays may struggle to recover against McGreevy.

St. Louis Cardinals vs Toronto Blue Jays Picks and Prediction

Moneyline Pick:

• St. Louis Cardinals

I am taking St. Louis on the moneyline. The Cardinals have been the weaker team recently, but McGreevy’s 3.57 ERA provides a significant advantage over Scherzer’s 9.49 ERA. That difference is too substantial to ignore when selecting a side in the series finale.

St. Louis also entered Saturday with the better overall record and a winning mark on the road. The Cardinals’ offensive inconsistency adds risk, so the price will matter once the market becomes available. However, St. Louis should be the preferred side at an underdog price or anything close to even money.

Run Line Pick:

• St. Louis Cardinals +1.5

The Cardinals plus 1.5 runs are the stronger run-line option. Their offensive struggles make laying a run and a half difficult, even with the favorable pitching matchup. Taking the additional run protects against another close, low-scoring game similar to Friday’s series opener.

McGreevy’s 3.57 ERA should give St. Louis a reasonable chance to remain competitive into the middle innings. Toronto is also below .500 at Rogers Centre and has produced fewer runs than St. Louis this season. I would prefer the Cardinals on the moneyline, but St. Louis +1.5 is the safer position.

Total Pick:

• Under 9.5

I prefer the under if the total is set at 9.5. Scherzer’s season numbers create obvious concern, but neither offense has produced an imposing statistical profile. Toronto entered the weekend with only 433 runs, while St. Louis had scored three runs or fewer in four of its previous five games.

McGreevy should be capable of limiting a Toronto lineup carrying a .305 on-base percentage. The Cardinals may score enough to win without turning the game into a high-scoring contest. I would play Under 9.5, but I would become more cautious if the market opens at 8.5 or lower.

Prediction: St. Louis Cardinals 5, Toronto Blue Jays 3

This preview was written prior to game play on Saturday.