The Detroit Tigers (13-17) take one of the lowest-scoring offenses in the league on the road to face the St. Louis Cardinals (10-22) at Busch Stadium on Friday for the opener of a three-game Interleague series.
The Tigers are kicking off a six-game road trip after closing out a seven-game homestand (4-3). They are coming off a three-game sweep of the Mets, taking the finale 2-0 on Thursday at Comerica Park. Riley Greene was 2 for 4 with a solo home run.
Javier Baez added a solo home run. The Cardinals are in the midst of a six-game homestand. They were just swept in three games against the Angels, dropping the finale 11-7 on Thursday at Busch Stadium for their sixth straight loss. Lars Nootbaar went 4 for 5 with one run. Tommy Edman added a home run, two runs, and three RBIs.
The teams are meeting for the first time since August 25, 2021, when the Cardinals avoided a two-game series sweep with a 3-2 extra innings win at Busch Stadium.
ON THE MOUND
Matthew Boyd (1-2, 5.47 ERA) is set to start for Detroit. The left-hander allowed six runs over 5.2 innings in his last start, a 6-4 road defeat against the Orioles on Saturday. He was charged with the loss, yielding eight hits while striking out three and walking one.
For St. Louis, southpaw Jordan Montgomery (2-4, 3.34 ERA) will toe the rubber. Montgomery made two appearances against the Tigers in 2022, both starts, striking out 10 and walking three over 12.1 innings (0-1, 2.19).
In his last start on Saturday, Montgomery took the loss on the road against the Dodgers. He threw 6.2 innings and gave up one run on five hits, striking out seven and walking two in the 1-0 defeat.
AT THE PLATE
The Detroit offense is averaging 3.5 runs per game for the season, second lowest in the league, with a slash line of .222/.292/.350. Matt Vierling leads the team in OPS at .749.
The center fielder is slashing .281/.333/.416 with two home runs, 10 RBIs, and nine runs over 27 games.
Over the last five games, however, Detroit has averaged 4.6 runs a game due in part to improved slugging (.419).
Against left-handed pitchers like Montgomery this season, the Tigers have a .692 OPS. Baez is the team’s most potent producer against left-handers with a .781 OPS in 23 at-bats.
St. Louis is slashing .258/.328/.409 for the season and averaging 4.2 runs per game. Nolan Gorman leads the team with a .914 OPS. The third baseman has seven home runs, 23 RBIs, and nine runs scored with a slash line of .277/.361/.553.
St. Louis is averaging only 3.0 runs per game in the last five with their slash line slipping across the board (.205/.246/.307). The Cards have a .786 OPS against left-handers in 2023. With a 1.417 OPS over 24 at-bats, Edman has been their best hitter against left-handers.
HOME AND AWAY
Detroit is 5-10 in away games in 2023, scoring 2.7 runs per game while allowing 4.8 runs. St. Louis has lost three in a row at their home park.
The Cards are 5-11 at home this season, averaging 4.8 runs per game while surrendering 5.5. In the last 10 meetings at Busch Stadium, each club has won five, though St. Louis has the scoring advantage with an average final margin of 4.8-4.0.
STANDINGS UPDATE
The Tigers are third in the AL Central, four games behind the division-leading Twins. The Cardinals are fifth in the NL Central, 10 games behind the Pirates.
SportsTips’ MLB Pick:
St.Louis Cardinals (-225)
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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
