Preview: Cardinals at Indians

[May 12, 2015]  The St. Louis Cardinals are fresh off their first series loss of the season and are looking to bounce back strong when they visit the Cleveland Indians for the start of a three-game interleague series on Tuesday. The Cardinals dropped the final two to the Pittsburgh Pirates over the weekend and are also trying to avoid their first three-game slide of 2015.

The Indians will try to post back-to-back wins for the first time since the season’s opening series after avoiding a sweep with an 8-2 triumph over the Minnesota Twins on Sunday. Cleveland sits in last place in the American League Central and its pitching staff shoulders much of the blame with an average of 6.1 runs allowed this month. "We're still capable of turning this thing around," Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis told MLB.com. "We still have the time. We're not using, 'It's too early,' but we still have the time. It's still our goal to finish with a winning season and get into the playoffs, and I think we still can do it." St. Louis is perched atop the National League Central and believes the series loss over the weekend was just a blip on the way to another winning streak.

TV: 6:10 p.m. ET, FSN Midwest (St. Louis), SportsTime Ohio (Cleveland)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Cardinals RH Lance Lynn (1-3, 3.82 ERA) vs. Indians RH Carlos Carrasco (4-2, 4.71)

Lynn allowed one earned run in four of his six starts but was knocked around in two of the last three outings. The Ole Miss product was reached for five runs on eight hits and a pair of walks in six innings to suffer a loss to the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday. Lynn, who has never faced the Indians, is 3-5 with a 3.72 ERA in 14 career interleague games – 11 starts.

Carrasco put together his longest outing of the season on Wednesday, when he scattered three runs and five hits over seven innings to earn a win at Kansas City. The Venezuela native struck out six in that start and has punched out 35 in 28 2/3 total innings in 2015. Carrasco is making his first start against St. Louis and is 3-2 with a 3.16 ERA in nine career interleague games – five starts.

WALK-OFFS

1. Cardinals 3B Matt Carpenter (extreme fatigue) is expected to play on Tuesday after sitting out the weekend.

2. Cleveland LF Michael Brantley has hit safely in 10 straight games.

3. St. Louis LF Matt Holliday has reached base safely in each of his first 29 games.

PREDICTION: Cardinals 6, Indians 3

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