The Cleveland Guardians (21-28) and their lightest-hitting offense in MLB are set to host the St. Louis Cardinals (23-29) at Progressive Field on Friday for the opener of a three-game Interleague series.
The Cardinals are in the midst of a seven-game road trip. They split their last series against the Reds, taking the finale 2-1 on Thursday at Great American Ball Park.
Nolan Gorman was 1 for 3 with a double, one run, and one RBI, stretching his hit streak to 15 games. The Guardians are in the midst of a six-game homestand.
They lost two of three against the White Sox in their last series, dropping the finale 6-0 on Wednesday at Progressive Field. Andres Gimenez went 2 for 3.
The teams are meeting for the first time since July 28, 2021, when the Guardians avoided a two-game series sweep with a 7-2 win at Progressive Field.
ON THE MOUND
Matthew Liberatore (1-0, 3.00 ERA) is slated to take the mound for St. Louis. The LHP allowed two runs in one inning of relief in his last appearance, a 10-5 road win over the Dodgers on Sunday. He scattered one hit while striking out one and walking one.
For Cleveland, righty Shane Bieber (3-3, 3.08 ERA) will toe the rubber. In his last start on Sunday, Bieber threw a complete game in a 2-1 defeat against the Mets. He allowed two runs on seven hits, but he was the hard-luck loser.
AT THE PLATE
The St. Louis offense is averaging 5.1 runs per game for the season, with a slash line of .262/.335/.442. Gorman leads the team in OPS at .998. The second baseman is slashing .296/.386/.612 with 13 home runs, 40 RBIs, and 22 runs over 46 games.
Against righties like Bieber this season, the Cards have a .769 OPS, fifth highest in the league. Gorman also is the team’s most productive hitter against right-handers with a .981 OPS in 137 at-bats.
Cleveland is slashing .225/.297/.340 for the season and averaging 3.4 runs per game, lowest in the league. Jose Ramirez leads the team with ann .811 OPS. The third baseman has six home runs, 25 RBIs, and 25 runs scored with a slash line of .266/.348/.462.
Cleveland is averaging only 2.0 runs per game in the last five with their slash line slipping across the board (.173/.220/.300). The Guardians have a .633 OPS against southpaws in 2023, lowest in MLB. With a .897 OPS over 48 at-bats, Gimenez has been their best hitter against left-handers.
HOME AND AWAY
St. Louis is 12-14 in road games in 2023, scoring 4.3 runs per game while allowing 4.5 runs. Cleveland has gone 10-14 at Progressive Field this season, averaging 2.8 runs per game while surrendering 4.0.
In the last 10 games between the teams at Progressive Field, each club has won five, though Cleveland has the scoring advantage with an average final margin of 3.6-3.2.
STANDINGS UPDATE
The Cardinals are fourth in the NL Central, six games behind the division-leading Brewers. The Guardians are third in the AL Central, four games behind the Twins.
SportsTips’ MLB Pick:
Cleveland Guardians (-115)
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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
