Preview: Royals at Cardinals
GAME: Kansas City Royals (41-36) at St. Louis Cardinals (40-37)
DATE/TIME: Thursday, June 30 - 7:15 PM EST
WHERE: Busch Stadium, St. Louis, Missouri
LINE: N/A TOTAL: N/A
The St. Louis Cardinals are having a ton of trouble winning games in their ballpark and look to end a six-game losing streak at Busch Stadium when they host the Kansas City Royals on Thursday. The Cardinals lost 3-2 in 12 innings to the Royals on Wednesday to continue their skid and are just 15-22 at home this season.
Kansas City won't have standout center fielder Lorenzo Cain (hamstring) in the lineup again until after the All-Star break as he was placed on the 15-day disabled list on Wednesday. "I was just hoping it wasn't really bad," Cain told reporters before Wednesday's contest. "The MRI showed it wasn't a complete tear. That's always good. I'm happy it is not worse than it is." The Royals have won two of three in the home-and-home series with the Cardinals, who rallied from deficits in the ninth and 10th innings on Wednesday before succumbing in the 12th. St. Louis' Brandon Moss is enjoying a productive month with a .333 average and 14 extra-base hits, including seven homers.
TV: 2:10 p.m. ET, FSN Kansas City, FSN Midwest (St. Louis)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Royals RH Chris Young (2-7, 6.54 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Mike Leake (5-5, 4.25)
Young's poor season reached a new low as he was torched for a season-worst seven runs and also allowed seven hits over 2 1/3 innings in a loss to Houston on Saturday. He has worked six frames just twice in 11 starts and has served up a major league-worst 21 homers in only 53 2/3 innings. Young is 1-4 with a 3.74 ERA in seven career starts against St. Louis and has surrendered four homers to Moss (5-for-19).
Leake also is coming off a poor outing as he lasted a season-low 3 1/3 innings while giving up five runs - four earned - and nine hits in a loss to Seattle on Saturday. He had won five of six decisions prior to the poor outing, which represented the second time he allowed four or more earned runs in a four-start span. Leake is 4-3 with a 4.25 ERA and 1.40 WHIP in nine road starts this season.
WALK-OFFS
1. Royals DH Kendrys Morales went 3-for-4 while playing right field on Wednesday, his first appearance as an outfielder since 2008 with the Los Angeles Angels.
2. St. Louis SS Aledmys Diaz (face) is expected to miss his third straight game stemming from being struck by a foul ball off his own bat in Monday's contest.
3. Kansas City LF Alex Gordon went 0-for-6 on Wednesday and is hitless in 11 at-bats in the series.
PREDICTION: Cardinals 9, Royals 5
GAME: Kansas City Royals (41-36) at St. Louis Cardinals (40-37)
DATE/TIME: Thursday, June 30 - 7:15 PM EST
WHERE: Busch Stadium, St. Louis, Missouri
LINE: N/A TOTAL: N/A
The St. Louis Cardinals are having a ton of trouble winning games in their ballpark and look to end a six-game losing streak at Busch Stadium when they host the Kansas City Royals on Thursday. The Cardinals lost 3-2 in 12 innings to the Royals on Wednesday to continue their skid and are just 15-22 at home this season.
Kansas City won't have standout center fielder Lorenzo Cain (hamstring) in the lineup again until after the All-Star break as he was placed on the 15-day disabled list on Wednesday. "I was just hoping it wasn't really bad," Cain told reporters before Wednesday's contest. "The MRI showed it wasn't a complete tear. That's always good. I'm happy it is not worse than it is." The Royals have won two of three in the home-and-home series with the Cardinals, who rallied from deficits in the ninth and 10th innings on Wednesday before succumbing in the 12th. St. Louis' Brandon Moss is enjoying a productive month with a .333 average and 14 extra-base hits, including seven homers.
TV: 2:10 p.m. ET, FSN Kansas City, FSN Midwest (St. Louis)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Royals RH Chris Young (2-7, 6.54 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Mike Leake (5-5, 4.25)
Young's poor season reached a new low as he was torched for a season-worst seven runs and also allowed seven hits over 2 1/3 innings in a loss to Houston on Saturday. He has worked six frames just twice in 11 starts and has served up a major league-worst 21 homers in only 53 2/3 innings. Young is 1-4 with a 3.74 ERA in seven career starts against St. Louis and has surrendered four homers to Moss (5-for-19).
Leake also is coming off a poor outing as he lasted a season-low 3 1/3 innings while giving up five runs - four earned - and nine hits in a loss to Seattle on Saturday. He had won five of six decisions prior to the poor outing, which represented the second time he allowed four or more earned runs in a four-start span. Leake is 4-3 with a 4.25 ERA and 1.40 WHIP in nine road starts this season.
WALK-OFFS
1. Royals DH Kendrys Morales went 3-for-4 while playing right field on Wednesday, his first appearance as an outfielder since 2008 with the Los Angeles Angels.
2. St. Louis SS Aledmys Diaz (face) is expected to miss his third straight game stemming from being struck by a foul ball off his own bat in Monday's contest.
3. Kansas City LF Alex Gordon went 0-for-6 on Wednesday and is hitless in 11 at-bats in the series.
PREDICTION: Cardinals 9, Royals 5