Boston Red Sox (22-16) vs St. Louis Cardinals (13-25)
Game Info: Friday, May 12, 2023 at 7:10 pm (Fenway Park)
James Paxton (0-0) (0.00) vs Adam Wainwright (0-0) (7.20)
Betting Odds: Boston Red Sox -141 / St. Louis Cardinals +110 --- Over/Under: 9.5 Click Here for the Latest Odds
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The St. Louis Cardinals will start a three-game interleague series with the Boston Red Sox this Friday from Busch Stadium on the NESN.
Cardinals Betting Preview
St. Louis moved to 13-25 after taking two of three from Chicago. The Cardinals finally showed a pulse by winning their first series in just under a month, and they’ll attempt to rally further this weekend. The St. Louis' offense is scoring 4.44 runs per game, while batting .258, with a .328 on-base percentage. The pitching staff carries a 4.64 ERA, with a 1.49 WHIP. Paul Goldschmidt has recorded a hit in five of the last seven games, and he’s first on the Cards in batting average (.306) and hits (45). Nolan Gorman homered in his last appearance to snap a cold streak, and he leads the team in RBI (24).
Adam Wainwright (2-4, 6.29 ERA, 13 Ks) will start for St. Louis. The longtime Cards pitcher will make his second appearance of the season after striking out five in season debut versus Detroit. Wainwright might have his work cut out for him at Fenway this Friday.
Red Sox Betting Preview
Boston moved to 22-16 after taking two of three from Philadelphia. The Red Sox opened the month with six straight wins prior to dropping the series finale to the Phillies, and they’ll look to steal a few games in Atlanta this week. The Boston offense is 5.68 scoring runs per game, while batting .258, with a .340 on-base percentage. The pitching staff carries a 4.89 ERA, with a 1.34 WHIP. Jarren Duran doubled in the win over Atlanta, and he’s first on the team in batting (.372). Rafael Devers leads the Sox in RBI (34), while Alex Verdugo has a hit in six of eight games, and he leads the team with 45 hits and 27 runs.
James Paxton (0-0, 0.00 ERA) will take the bump for Boston. The veteran lefty will make his first appearance in a Red Sox uniform here after missing most of the last three seasons. Paxton was a 15-game winner for the Yankees back in 2019, and it’ll be interesting to see how he comes out here.
St. Louis vs Boston Trends
St. Louis is 15-23 against the spread this season, with a 15-19-1 O/U record. Boston is 22-16 ATS this year, with a 25-12-1 over/under record.
Corey’s Free Pick
When you consider how much St. Louis has struggled early on this season and the uncertainty of what kind of form Sox starter James Paxton will come out in, neither club feels very trustworthy here. When you factor in this marking Adam Wainwright’s first road start of the season, it makes the Cards even more unappealing at Fenway this Friday. Boston has cleaned up a slow start by winning seven of nine games this month, and I like them starting their series with a victory. Back Boston in game one, and give the massive total a look with two puzzling situations on the mound.