The Boston Red Sox (22-16), one of the highest-scoring lineups in the league, are set to host the St. Louis Cardinals (13-25) at Fenway Park on Friday to open a three-game Interleague series.
The Cardinals are in the midst of a six-game road trip. They won two out of three in their last series against the Cubs, dropping the finale 10-4 on Wednesday at Wrigley Field. Nolan Arenado was 1 for 4 with a triple and one RBI.
The Red Sox are playing the first of six games at home. They split their last series against the Braves, taking the finale 5-2 on Wednesday at Truist Park. Jarren Duran went 2 for 3 with a double, two runs, and one RBI. Triston Casas added a home run and two RBIs.
The teams are meeting for the first time this season. In 2022, the Red Sox won two of the three games between the teams.
ON THE MOUND
Adam Wainwright (0-0, 7.20 ERA) is in line to take the mound for St. Louis. The RHP allowed four runs over five innings in his last start, a 6-5 road defeat against the Tigers on Saturday. He yielded eight hits while striking out five in the no-decision.
Wainwright made one start against the Red Sox in 2022, a 6-5 road loss on June 17. He surrendered four runs on seven hits over 6.1 innings, striking out five and walking one.Lefty James Paxton will toe the rubber for Boston, his season debut.
AT THE PLATE
The St. Louis offense is averaging 4.4 runs per game for the season, with a slash line of .258/.328/.418. Paul Goldschmidt leads the team in OPS at .933. The first baseman is slashing .306/.389/.544 with seven home runs, 20 RBIs, and 24 runs over 37 games.
Over the last five games, however, St. Louis has averaged 6.0 runs a game due in part to improved slugging (.458). Against southpaws like Paxton this season, the Cards have a .774 OPS.
Tommy Edman is the team’s strongest hitter against left-handers with a 1.147 OPS in 32 at-bats. Boston is slashing .269/.340/.448 for the season and averaging 5.7 runs per game, third best in the league.
Alex Verdugo leads the team with ann .880 OPS. The center fielder has five home runs, 18 RBIs, and 29 runs scored with a slash line of .308/.380/.500. Boston is averaging only 4.2 runs per game in the last five with their slash line dropping across the board (.230/.294/.345).
The Sox have ann .814 OPS against right-handers in 2023, second highest in MLB. With a .950 OPS over 97 at-bats, Verdugo also has been their best hitter against right-handers.
HOME AND AWAY
St. Louis is 7-12 in away games in 2023, scoring 3.8 runs per game while allowing 4.5 runs. Boston has won six in a row at their home park.
The Sox are 13-7 at home this season, averaging 6.2 runs per game while surrendering 5.3. In the last 10 games between the teams at Fenway Park, Boston is 7-3 with an average scoreline of 5.3-4.6.
STANDINGS UPDATE
The Cardinals are fifth in the NL Central, eight games behind the division-leading Pirates. The Red Sox are third in the AL East, seven games behind the Rays.
SportsTips’ NHL Pick:
Boston Red Sox (-115)
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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
