Good afternoon, St. Louis Cardinals fans! The Redbirds wrap up their three-game set against the Orange birds today. Baltimore took the opener thanks to a three-run homer from former Cardinal Dylan Carlson, but St. Louis bounced back with a 7-4 win in Game 2.
The Cardinals enter the rubber match with a 31-24 record, sitting three games behind the Chicago Cubs in the National League Central. Chicago picked up another win Tuesday with a late rally against the lowly Colorado Rockies. St. Louis continues to struggle on the road, holding a 12-16 record away from Busch Stadium. Despite that, they’ve outscored opponents 263-220 so far this season.
Orioles Continue to Slide in the AL Standings
Baltimore is having a tough season. With the second-worst record in the American League, only ahead of the Chicago White Sox, the Orioles sit 15 games back in the AL East. They’ve struggled at home, going just 9-16 at Camden Yards, and have been outscored 304-209. That 304 runs allowed is the second worst in the AL, trailing only the Oakland Athletics.
Pitching Matchup: Mikolas vs. Povich
Miles Mikolas gets the start for St. Louis. The 36-year-old veteran is 5-2 with a solid 3.51 ERA across 10 starts this season. He’s been dialed in lately—over his last six outings, he’s allowed only five earned runs. Since his rough April 6th start, Mikolas has given up just 10 earned runs across nine starts.
Baltimore counters with Cade Povich, a 25-year-old lefty from Reno, Nevada. Povich is 1-3 with a 4.86 ERA through nine starts. In his last appearance, he held the Red Sox to one run on four hits over five innings, though he didn’t factor into the decision.
Cardinals Offensive Notes
Brendan Donovan is questionable for this one after being scratched Tuesday due to a hip issue. He leads the team with a .328 batting average. Jordan Walker has been heating up, collecting six hits in his last four games, including a double and a triple.
The Cardinals are among the best offenses in baseball, ranking 7th in MLB with 4.8 runs per game and a team batting average of .261.
Orioles Offensive Struggles
Baltimore’s offense hasn’t met expectations this season. They rank 24th in the league with just 3.9 runs per game and average only 7.9 hits per contest. Their team batting average sits at .235.
One bright spot: Jackson Holliday went yard in the series opener and has six hits in his last five games. The 21-year-old lefty saw 60 games of action last season, logging 36 hits.
Key Factors for Wednesday’s Matchup
If Mikolas continues to keep the ball low in the zone, Baltimore’s hitters, who often put the ball on the ground, shouldn’t pose much of a threat. The Cardinals’ bullpen was active Tuesday, using Steven Matz, Phil Maton, and Ryan Helsley. Ideally, Mikolas will give them some length in this one.
Helsley threw just 13 pitches yesterday, and with an off day on Thursday, he could still be available if a save situation arises.
Interestingly, no current Cardinals hitters have faced Povich before. Adjusting to the unfamiliar lefty will be a key storyline to watch, but based on their performance throughout May, St. Louis should be up to the task.
Rodney’s Prediction
Wednesday, May 28, 2025: St. Louis Cardinals 5, Baltimore Orioles 3
Take the Cardinals at +105 on the moneyline.
Talk Friday from Arlington!
