The St. Louis Cardinals (19-26) host the Los Angeles Dodgers (28-17) at Busch Stadium on Friday. The Cardinals took Thursday’s series opener 16-8, their first head-to-head victory in four games this season. Adam Wainwright went 5.2 innings for the win, giving up five runs (2 ER) on five hits.
Nolan Gorman’s on-base streak hit 10 as he went 3 for 5 with two home runs and three RBIs in the win. Willson Contreras added two home runs and six RBIs.
Freddie Freeman was 2 for 5 with a home run and a triple for the Dodgers. He drove in four runs, stretching his on-base streak to 10 games.
ON THE MOUND
Tony Gonsolin (1-1, 1.42 ERA) is set for the start for Los Angeles. The righty threw five scoreless innings in his last start, a 4-0 road win over the Padres on Sunday. He got the win, scattering two hits while striking out six and walking one.
Gonsolin is making his first appearance against the Cardinals this season. Gonsolin made one start against the Cardinals in 2022, a 7-6 road victory on July 13.
He surrendered five runs on seven hits over five innings, striking out six and walking one. For St. Louis, southpaw Steven Matz (0-4, 5.62 ERA) takes the mound.
It’s his first appearance of the season against the Dodgers. In his last start on Saturday, Matz took a no-decision on the road against the Red Sox. He threw 5.1 innings and gave up three runs on eight hits, striking out four and walking one in the 4-3 win.
AT THE PLATE
Over the last five games, Los Angeles has averaged 5.8 runs a game, a small gain compared to their season average of 5.4. Against southpaws like Matz this season, the Dodgers have a .723 OPS. Mookie Betts is the team’s most productive hitter against left-handers with a 1.019 OPS in 43 at-bats.
St. Louis is averaging 9.6 runs per game in the last five, up from 5.1 for the season, with a higher slash line (.311/.397/.623). The Cards have a .782 OPS against right-handers in 2023, fifth highest in MLB. With a 1.033 OPS over 121 at-bats, Gorman has been their best hitter against right-handers.
HOME AND AWAY
Los Angeles is 11-10 in road games in 2023, scoring 5.1 runs per game while allowing 5.8 runs. St. Louis has gone 9-14 in front of their home fans this season, averaging 5.9 runs per game while surrendering 5.1. In the last 10 games at Busch Stadium between the teams, St. Louis is 6-4 with an average scoreline of 5.7-5.1.
STANDINGS UPDATE
The Dodgers lead the NL West by two games over the Diamondbacks. The Cardinals are fifth in the NL Central, six games behind the Brewers.
SportsTips’ MLB Pick:
LA Dodgers (-120)
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