Preview: Twins at Cardinals

[June 15, 2015]  The St. Louis Cardinals already own the best record in baseball as they prepare to open a four-game, home-and-home series against the visiting Minnesota Twins on Monday. The Cardinals have won three straight, including a pair of matchups against American League Central-leading Kansas City, before rain postponed Sunday's series finale.

The Cardinals own a six-game cushion atop the National League Central due to their stellar play at Busch Stadium. St. Louis is a major league-best 24-7 and has won nine of 10 series at home after limiting the Royals to two runs in two games. The Twins halted a season-high five-game slide with a 4-3 victory at Texas on Sunday to draw within 1 1/2 games of idle Kansas City. Top prospect Byron Buxton went 0-for-4 Sunday in his major-league debut but still called it an "amazing" moment to savor when he scored the tiebreaking run in the ninth inning.

TV: 8:15 p.m. ET, FSN North (Minnesota), FSN Midwest (St. Louis)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Twins RH Trevor May (4-4, 4.16 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH John Lackey (4-4 3.74)

May's four-start unbeaten string came to a halt last time out despite one of his better efforts, when he allowed only one run in six innings in a 2-0 loss to Kansas City. He was superb in his previous turn at Boston, blanking the Red Sox on two hits over seven scoreless innings while matching a season high with nine strikeouts. May has trouble getting out of jams - opponents are hitting .339 with runners in scoring position.

Lackey was blitzed in his last outing on Monday, matching a career high in runs allowed (10) and setting a season high in hits (12) before exiting after just four innings in an 11-3 setback to Colorado. The rout snapped a two-game winning streak by the 36-year-old, who has allowed 22 hits in his last two starts after giving up six or fewer in his previous six turns. Lackey has made 18 career starts against the Twins, going 8-6 with a 3.10 ERA.

WALK-OFFS

1. Cardinals 3B Matt Carpenter has only one extra-base hit in 18 games.

2. Twins RF Torii Hunter will return to the lineup after serving a two-game suspension.

3. Minnesota won two of three at St. Louis in June 2009 in the only series between the teams since 2001.

PREDICTION: Cardinals 4, Twins 2

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