The St. Louis Cardinals sit in first place in the NL Central, just one game up on the Cubs. They host the lowly Phillies at Busch Stadium in Game 2 of this series tonight, looking to avenge a loss in the series opener. I like the Cards to pile on here against a rookie pitcher.

Here are my keys to the game:

1. Pitching - Michael Wacha will be on the mound for the Cardinals, and he's been brilliant so far. Wacha (3-0, 1.33 ERA) has the same stat line in all three of his starts, giving up one run on five hits in three straight victories. The Phillies will counter with Servino Gonzalez, who makes his major league debut.

2. Offense - The Phillies rank dead last in the majors leagues with just 49 runs scored. That's not likely to change against the best pitching staff in baseball.

3. X-Factor - Philly has lost six of eight on the road, and five of those six losses have come in games decided by more than one run.

Selection: This is a play on the St. Louis Cardinals RL (9*)