The Cardinals are back at home following Monday’s off day. St. Louis went 3-3 on the recent road trip and currently sits at 33-26, in second place in the National League Central. Unfortunately, the Cubs keep winning, and the Cardinals are now four games back in the divisional race. Milwaukee has won seven straight and sits 5.5 games back in the division.
Home Stand Preview
This is the first of nine straight games for the Cardinals at home. Following this three-game series, the Dodgers come to town for another three. Next week, Toronto plays three before the Cardinals begin a four-game series in Milwaukee. Yesterday marked the final off-day until June 16—and those are the only two scheduled for the entire month of June.
Familiar Foes from the Show Me State
The opponent is a familiar one: the Show Me State rivals from Kansas City. The Royals are 31-29 and sit in fourth place in a competitive upper half of the American League Central. Kansas City is coming off a 1-0 shutout loss to the Detroit Tigers on Sunday. When the Cardinals and Royals met earlier this season in Kansas City, St. Louis took two out of three games.
Tuesday’s Pitching Matchup
Michael Lorenzen gets the nod for the Kansas City Royals. The veteran has been around the league. This season, he has made 10 starts and holds a 3-6 record with a 4.33 ERA. The Reds hit him hard on May 26, tallying 11 hits and six runs. Lorenzen is looking for his first win since April 24.
Andre Pallante gets the baseball for the Cardinals. Pallante is 4-3 with a 4.23 ERA. He has struck out 28 batters and walked 16 this season. This will be his 12th start of the year. On May 16, he went seven innings, allowing seven hits and just two runs in a 10-3 win over Kansas City. In his last start, Pallante struck out seven batters in Baltimore.
Big News
The big news heading into this series is the call-up of top slugging prospect Jac Caglianone for the Royals. He will be with the team for this three-game series. Caglianone was the No. 6 pick in the 2024 draft. This season, he has hit six home runs in just 12 games with the Triple-A team. He will look to add some needed punch to the Kansas City lineup.
Bad News
The Cardinals received some tough news over the weekend. Jordan Walker has been placed on the 10-day IL with a wrist injury. While Walker had not been hitting particularly well, his absence certainly affects the team’s offensive depth. Ryan Vilade, a utility player, will take his place on the roster.
Star Power
Bobby Witt Jr. is one of the most electrifying players in Major League Baseball. This homestand brings some star power to St. Louis that the team and fans don’t often get to see. Witt and Salvador Perez are the names to watch this weekend. Witt is hitting .283 on the season with six home runs, 22 doubles, and 20 stolen bases.
Salvador Perez, who just turned 35 last month, has struggled this season with a .229 batting average, but he has long been a thorn in the side of Cardinals pitching.
Many around baseball wonder who the “star power” is in St. Louis. While Nolan Arenado has had his time in the spotlight, the team now seems to revolve around Brendan Donovan. Donovan enters the game batting .323 and ranks among the league leaders in hits with 70 on the season. Ivan Herrera has also impressed, hitting .333 across 27 games as the Cardinals’ catcher.
Tale of the Tape
Team Batting Average:
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Royals: .247
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Cardinals: .258
Runs Scored:
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Royals: 194
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Cardinals: 273
Home Runs:
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Royals: 34
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Cardinals: 52
Earned Run Average (ERA):
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Royals: 3.13
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Cardinals: 3.78
Strikeouts:
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Royals: 488
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Cardinals: 426
Walks:
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Royals: 166
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Cardinals: 165
Rodney’s Pick:
The Royals struggle to score. Don’t let their bats get hot. Despite the new threat in their lineup, St. Louis keeps them off balance. Cardinals win this one 5-2.
Let’s go Cardinals!
