ST. LOUIS (Interstat) — The Seattle Mariners and St. Louis Cardinals open a three-game series Friday night at Busch Stadium III, with first pitch scheduled for 7:45 p.m. CDT under cloudy skies and 75-degree temperatures.

The Cardinals (14-10) enter the series with a four-game lead over the Mariners (11-15) in the standings, though St. Louis is looking to rebound from a 4-1 loss Wednesday at Miami. Seattle arrives fresh off a 5-4 home win Wednesday over the Athletics.

Right-hander George Kirby (3-2, 3.86 ERA) will start for Seattle. Right-hander Andre Pallante (2-1, 4.15) gets the ball for St. Louis.

Seattle catcher Cal Raleigh has been the Mariners’ most productive hitter, homering in three consecutive games entering the series. Raleigh went 3-for-5 with a home run and an RBI in Wednesday’s win over Oakland, and has four homers in his past six games. He is batting .280 over that span.

Cardinals designated hitter Ivan Herrera also enters on a hot streak, hitting .333 (5-for-15) on the team’s six-game road trip that ended Wednesday. Herrera homered Wednesday in Miami and has three homers this season, including a three-RBI performance April 17 at Houston.

The Mariners have dropped 10 of their past 14 games after a 6-2 start but have won two of their past three. The Cardinals are 8-4 in their past 12 games and have won four of their past six series.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a 6-3 Cardinals victory, though the simulation model gives Seattle a 54 percent probability of winning. The Mariners are installed as a -1.5 favorite on the run line, with the over/under set at 8 runs.

Seattle’s bullpen has been a bright spot, with left-hander Jose A. Ferrer throwing two scoreless innings in Wednesday’s win. The Mariners have not announced additional roster moves.

The series continues Saturday with the same teams at Busch Stadium, followed by Sunday’s finale before Seattle travels to Minnesota for a three-game set and St. Louis heads to Pittsburgh.