Guardians, Cardinals Set for Rubber Match in St. Louis

ST. LOUIS (Interstat) — The Cleveland Guardians and St. Louis Cardinals will decide their three-game series Wednesday at Busch Stadium after splitting the first two contests, including a 9-3 Guardians win Monday.

First pitch is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. CDT under cloudy skies with a game-time temperature near 88 degrees.

Cleveland (10-7) will send right-hander Dustin May (1-2, 4.91 ERA) to the mound. May seeks his first win since opening day. The Cardinals (8-8) have not announced a starting pitcher for the series finale.

The Guardians’ offense broke out Monday afternoon, led by shortstop Brayan Rocchio, who went 2 for 3 with a home run and two RBIs. Right fielder Angel Martínez also homered. Starter Gavin Williams earned the win, allowing two runs over five innings.

Williams, a player to watch for Cleveland, has been dominant in three of his four starts this season, including a 10-strikeout, two-hit shutout performance over seven innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers on April 1.

For St. Louis, a player to watch is reliever Gordon Graceffo, who has not allowed a hit in 6 1/3 innings across his last five appearances, including 1 1/3 scoreless frames against Cleveland on Monday.

The Cardinals have struggled recently, dropping five of their last seven games. In Monday’s loss, right fielder Jordan Walker provided a bright spot, going 2 for 5 with a solo home run.

According to Interstat’s game simulator, the Guardians are projected to win 6-4. Cleveland is a pregame favorite with a spread of -1.5, and the over/under is set at 8 runs.

Following Wednesday’s game, the Guardians return home to open a four-game series against the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday. The Cardinals have an off-day Thursday before beginning a six-game road trip in Houston on Friday.