The St. Louis Cardinals find themselves on the outside looking in at the NL playoffs and will look to trade-deadline acquisition JA Happ to get the team a win on Wednesday at home against the Atlanta Braves. 

After posting a 1.91 ERA with two home runs allowed in his first six starts of the season, Happ got shelled in his final 14 starts with the Minnesota Twins, posting an 8.74 ERA with opponents hitting a .354 and 2.4 home runs per nine innings. 

Braves starter Drew Smyly has been the opposite, starting the year in poor form but allowing three runs or fewer allowed in each of his 10 starts since the start of June. 

The Cardinals are averaging 3.7 runs per game since the beginning of June, fewest in the NL, and the Braves are second in the NL in home runs per game with 1.4.

The bullpens are comparable, but in the past 30 days the Braves’ bullpen ERA is 3.33 and the Cardinals’ is 4.68. Bank on the Braves to spoil Happ’s Cardinals debut. 

The play: Braves, -111.