KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Interstat) — The St. Louis Cardinals, winners of seven of their last 10, visit the Kansas City Royals on Thursday night at Kauffman Stadium in the opener of a three-game interleague series.

First pitch is set for 7:10 p.m. CDT under cloudy skies with temperatures near 82 degrees.

St. Louis (40-32) is in second place in the National League Central, 4 1/2 games behind Milwaukee. The Cardinals send left-hander Matthew Liberatore (3-3, 4.12 ERA) to the mound. He is coming off a no-decision against San Diego on June 11, allowing three earned runs over 5 2/3 innings in a game the Cardinals eventually lost in extra innings.

Kansas City (30-45) sits in last place in the American League Central, 18 games behind Cleveland. The Royals have not announced a starting pitcher for Thursday, but right-hander Luinder Avila could be an option after a strong relief outing Wednesday at Washington.

Avila (2-4, 5.96 ERA) worked 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball against the Nationals on June 17, striking out five in the Royals’ 6-2 victory. That performance followed a disastrous outing June 12 against Houston, in which he allowed eight earned runs in just 2/3 of an inning.

The Cardinals are coming off a 6-1 loss Wednesday to the Padres. Right-hander Kyle Leahy (4-5, 4.25 ERA) took the loss, allowing three earned runs over six innings with seven strikeouts. Leahy has been a bright spot for St. Louis, posting quality starts in two of his last three outings.

The Royals are looking to build momentum after winning two of three at Washington. Catcher Carter Jensen went 4 for 4 with a home run and an RBI in Wednesday’s win, while right fielder John Rave added two hits, including a homer and an RBI.

These division rivals split a three-game series in St. Louis from May 15-17. The Royals won the most recent meeting, 2-0, on May 17. The Cardinals claimed the first two games of that set, 5-4 and 4-2.

St. Louis has been installed as a -1.5-run favorite, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. The over/under is 8.5 runs.

The Interstat game simulator projects a 7-4 Cardinals victory.

The series continues Friday at Kauffman, with a doubleheader scheduled for Sunday before the Cardinals return home to face Arizona.