June 30, 2016
7:15 PM ET, 6:15 PM CT, 5:15 PM MT, 4:15 PM PT
Busch Stadium, St. Louis, Missouri
TV: FSKC, FSMW
RADIO: KMOX 1120
C. Young (2-7, 6.54 ERA) M. Leake (5-5, 4.25 ERA)
Royals/Cardinals Preview
Owners of one of baseball's best road records at 25-15, St. Louis has been mop water at home. A 3-2, 12-inning defeat to Kansas City on Wednesday night was the Cardinals' sixth consecutive setback at Busch Stadium, dropping them to 15-22 at home for the year.
By contrast, the Cardinals were a major-league-best 55-26 last year, when they were baseball's first 100-win team since 2011.
"I didn't know until just now what the record was," Cardinals right fielder Stephen Piscotty said after the Wednesday game of the team's home struggles. "It's game-to-game for myself and a lot of guys on the team."
To break the home losing streak, St. Louis (40-37) turns to right-hander Mike Leake, who is making his first career start against Kansas City. Leake (5-5, 4.25 ERA) is coming off a 5-4 loss Saturday night at Seattle, where he lasted only 3 1/3 innings and gave up all five runs.
The Cardinals will need a long start from Leake after using eight pitchers Wednesday night. New closer Seung Hwan Oh, Kevin Siegrist and Jonathan Broxton could be unavailable after working the past two games.
The Royals trot out veteran right-hander Chris Young, who has been pummeled most of the year. A 13-5 loss to the Houston Astros on Saturday night saw Young last only 2 1/3 innings. He allowed seven hits and seven runs with four walks and two strikeouts in his shortest start since Sept. 1, 2014.
Young (2-7, 6.54) is just 1-4 with a 3.74 ERA in seven career starts against St. Louis, and he has permitted a homer in his first 11 starts this year.
Young might not have to worry about Piscotty, who injured his ankle in the 12th inning diving for Alcides Escobar's game-winning double and had to ice the joint after the game. Piscotty, who cracked a game-tying homer in the 10th, has played in all but four games this year.
The Series:
Kansas City leads season series 2-1
June 27, 2016-Kansas City 6, St. Louis 2
June 28, 2016-St. Louis 8, Kansas City 4
June 29, 2016-Kansas City 3, St. Louis 2, 12 innings
June 30, 2016-KC (Young) @ STL (Leake)-6:15 PM CDT
Baseball Reference 2016 Cardinals Statistics
2016 Current MLB Standings
2016 Current MLB Wild Card Standings
2016 Current MLB vs. Division Standings
2016 Current MLB vs. Expanded Standings
Busch Stadium-Home of the Cardinals