Preview: Red Sox at Cardinals

[May 16, 2017]  The St. Louis Cardinals are surging up the standings with eight wins in the last nine games and just got done taking two of three from the rival Chicago Cubs to open an eight-game homestand. The Cardinals will take a crack at an interleague rival when they host the Boston Red Sox in the opener of a two-game series on Tuesday.

St. Louis is averaging 6.6 runs in its last eight wins and added some power from missing sources in Sunday's 5-0 win. Yadier Molina snapped a string of 19 straight games without a home run with a pair of blasts while Matt Carpenter broke a string of five consecutive contests without a homer and four without an RBI by taking Jake Arrieta deep. The Boston staff is a little shorthanded after watching Drew Pomeranz leave his start on Sunday after three innings with triceps tightness and burning through five relievers in an 11-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays, which gave the team its second straight series loss. The Red Sox will try to get some length on Tuesday out of surging lefty Eduardo Rodriguez while Cardinals righty Lance Lynn attempts to bounce back from a rough outing.

TV: 8:15 p.m. ET, MLB Network, NESN (Boston), FSN Midwest (St. Louis)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Red Sox LH Eduardo Rodriguez (1-1, 2.80 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Lance Lynn (4-1, 2.75)

Rodriguez totaled five earned runs allowed in 24 innings over his last four starts but is just 1-0 in that span. The Venezuela native struck out five and did not walk a batter while allowing one run at Milwaukee on Thursday but could not get any run support and ended up without factoring in the decision. Rodriguez is making his fourth start against an NL Central opponent already this season and yielded a total of four earned runs and 12 hits over 17 1/3 total innings against Pittsburgh, Chicago and Milwaukee.

Lynn enjoyed a string of four straight wins and allowed a total of two runs in 25 innings during that stretch before falling well off that pace at Miami on Wednesday. The 30-year-old was ripped for four runs on five hits and four walks in four innings by the Marlins but did not factor in the decision. Lynn allowed one earned run over seven innings in his lone previous start against Boston and is 5-6 with a 3.40 ERA in 19 career interleague games - 16 starts.

WALK-OFFS

1. Red Sox DH Hanley Ramirez, who has yet to make a start at 1B this season, could again be limited to pinch-hitting duty in the NL park after missing three games with back spasms and going 1-for-4 in his return on Sunday.

2. Cardinals CF Dexter Fowler is 0-for-4 with five walks in the last three games.

3. Boston rookie LF Andrew Benintendi is 0-for-19 over the last five contests.

PREDICTION: Red Sox 4, Cardinals 3

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