The St. Louis Cardinals have lost four straight heading into Game 1 of a home series versus Philadelphia Monday. The Phillies on the other hand have won six in a row, but I think the streak is likely to end tonight at Busch Stadium where they have lost five of their last six visits. My money is on the Cards.

Here are my keys to the game:

1. Pitching - Adam Wainwright will get the nod for the Cardinals, and he's coming off his first win of the season. Wainwright (1-3, 7.16 ERA) gave up for runs on seven hits over just 5.1 innings at hitter friendly Chase Field, but the Cardinals bats powered the way in an 11-4 victory. The Phillies will send Jeremy Hellickson to the mound, and he was 3-7 with a 5.23 ERA on the road last year.

2. Phillies Bats - Even though they've won six straight games, the Phillies bats haven't exactly been producing a lot of runs. Philadelphia ranks 26th in the majors in runs scored, with a team batting average of .229.

3. X-Factor - The Cardinals are 20-8 in Wainwrights last 28 home starts.

Selection: This is a play on the St. Louis Cardinals (8*)