Gambling content 21+. The New York Post may receive an affiliate commi sion if you sign up through our links. Read our for more information. On April 4, the Mets were 0-5. They then won 12 of their next 15 games to claw back into the divisional and playoff races. But theyve cooled off again, losing 10 of their past 15 games, including a three-game . But the Cardinals are a horrific team, and after the , I expect another solid performance Tuesday behind Jose Butto. Mets vs. Cardinals prediction Explore More (7:45 p.m. ET, SNY) Butto is pitching half-decent in his sophomore season, posting a 2.57 ERA acro s his first five starts, three resulting in Metropolitan wins. He added a sinker and a slider last season, the former helping him induce more weak contact (85 mph average exit velocity against) and the latter generating more whiffs (58% on 87 thrown this year). Hes generating a ton of whiffs and swinging strikes, resulting in an impre sive 27% strikeout rate this season. I worry that his hot start is sustainable, as his underlying stuff metrics (88 Stuff+ mark acro s his arsenal) and control i sues (12% career walk rate) imply hes over-performing. The same goes for his expected run indicators (2.57 ERA, 3.98 xERA, 4.09 xFIP). But I can confidently say one thing about Butto: Hes much better than Miles Mikolas. The Cardinals 35-year-old starting pitcher is on pace to post a career-worst season. His fastball velocity and swinging strike have dropped in the Austin Davis Jersey early season, and his batted-ball profile is a me s. Mikolas cant mi s bats (29 strikeouts in 38 innings) and allows too much hard contact (45% hard-hit rate, 18th percentile among qualified pitchers), a deadly combination. As a result, hes pitched to a 5.68 ERA acro s his first seven starts, five of which resulted in Cardinal lo ses. Im willing to fade Mikolas against most MLB starting pitchers, including Butto. Im also willing to fade the Cardinals as much as po sible in the short term. There isnt much to like about the club when the lineup isnt hitting. The defense has significantly regre sed, the rotation is a me s and the bullpen is only moderately better (4.53 ERA over the past two weeks). Miles Mikolas #39 of the St. Louis Cardinals pitches against the Detroit Tigers during the second inning at Comerica Park on May 1, 2024 in Detroit, Michigan. Getty Images Worst of all, the Cardinals are not hitting, ranking 26th among MLB lineups in wRC+ (83). Theyve seemingly gotten worse, posting an OPS le s than .600 acro s the past two weeks, the worst in MLB during the stretch. Paul Goldschmidt has been atrocious (67 OPS+), Nolan Arenado has been merely average (114 OPS+), and younger hitters like Nolan Gorman (70 OPS+) and Jordan Walker (44 OPS+) are slumping. The Cardinals arent hitting, so theyve sunk to last in the NL Central (15-20) with the fourth-worst run differential in the league (-33). The Mets arent elite, but theres plenty to like about the squad. Learn all you need to know about MLB Betting Read about the Learn all about Theyre an above-average lineup (103 wRC+, 15th in MLB) that hits decently well against right-handed pitching (103 wRC+, 11th against the side). Theyre deep and nearly impenetrable in the bullpen, with Edwin Diaz, Reed Garrett, Jorge Lopez, Adam Ottavino and Drew Smith combining for 21 earned runs and 116 strikeouts acro s 85 innings (2.25 ERA, 34% strikeout rate). Theyre also much better defensively than the early advanced metrics indicate. The Cardinals are becoming a near-daily fade for me, especially when Mikolas or another underperforming starting pitcher toes the rubber. Considering the opponent, Ill bet on Butto and the Mets as underdogs. I dont think the Mets should be underdogs when they have the better lineup, bullpen and starting pitcher Tuesday in St. Louis. Mets vs. Cardinals pick Mets ML (+110, ) Stephen Kolek Jersey