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Play on NEW YORK YANKEES -1.5 (+109 ) (the run-line on the Yankees of -1.5 is good with the juice of -110 or better) 

NOTE I: The New York Yankees play the role of visitor in downtown St Louis this weekend.  The Friday night matchup grades out as the Dead Presidents Report. The visiting Yankees are the stream team and the three positions in tonight's interleague event; money line and the -1.5 and -2 run-lines. The three positions in the Dead Presidents Report are plus-money on the run-line, with the money-line position checking in as the road favorite. Each position in tonight's event has been entered individually, and all three carry a 2% rating.

Play on NEW YORK YANKEES -1.5 (+109 ) (the run-line on the Yankees of -1.5 is good with the juice of -110 or better) 
2%  confidence  rating
List  Pitchers: Cortes and Hudson 
HP Umpire: Jason Visconti grades out as a neutral umpire when wearing the mask and vest. His walks allowed are above the league average, as are his RPG and Batting Average Against. Visconti's boost variable, the lone standout is the pitchers he grades when being assigned the plate in a game, is that the starters and bullpen arms of both dugouts walk more hitters than their average per game on the season. 
Weather: The forecast for New Busch is hot and humid. First-pitch temps will feel like 100-plus degrees with no chance of precip and a light wind blowing in from right-centerfield.  

The Cardinals began the 2022 baseball season being a lineup that could pressure left-handed pitching while having to scratch out hits vs. quality righties. However, the Cards have become a team that needs the lead and can hold it with a select and capable few out of the pen.

St Louis went into the All-Star break, having one single series win against the Reds on the weekend directly in front of the ASG break.

Since the return to the regular season schedule since the break, the Cards opened the second half losing two of three to the Reds, followed by an interleague two-game split against the Blue Jays that led to taking two of three from the Nationals before sweeping the Cubs. St Louis is 7-4 coming out of the break, but what they don't have is an offense that is dynamic enough to keep up with the Dodgers and Yankees of the league, and their starting five is nothing more than a whim and a prayer of a rotation that pitches to contact.

Yes, St Louis has a terrific defense, especially on the dirt behind the pitcher, but once again, Those who have shifted pieces of the team puzzle that has yet to be looked at in fashion who live in reality access what is in front of them.

In a mid-July start before the break for the Mid-Summer Classic, starting righthander, Dakota Hudson took the loss to the Dodgers and shortly following the game was placed on the 15-day injured list.

Hudson came off the IL for a start against the Nats on the 30th of July. The result was the team lost a fourth straight in Hudson starts dating back to his first start of the month vs. the Braves.

The loss to Washington was a start that Hudson worked 4.1 innings, surrendering four hits and two earned runs. As acceptable as that is for a start off the IL, his one strikeout against two walks is the straw that will break his and the Card's back when facing quality starters and exceptional bats.

St Louis, welcome to town the New York Yankees.

Since the end of June, the Cards' righthander has a team mark of 1-5 -- in games, Hudson has started. In three of those starts, the Birds lost by 2-plus runs, and Hudson didn't make it out of the fifth inning in half of the aforementioned turns.

Nasty Nester threw six scoreless innings out of the break against the Orioles at Camden Yards. He followed that with his ninth season victory in a Sunday walk in the park over the KC Royals. Cortes didn't do anything to impress the Saturday afternoon victory against the Royals, allowing two runs on five hits and two five walks while punching out 5 over five frames.

The 27-year-old lefty brings a 2.53 ERA, 9.4 K/9, and 2 BB/9 across 19 starts (106.2 innings this season) to downtown St Louis. And if Nester isn't on his game, or is uninterested in the matchup, e.g., vs. KC in his last turn, he has an offense that can cover mistakes the southpaw makes.      

NEW YORK YANKEES -1.5 RUNS