Greetings, Dodger faithful, and welcome to May! The Dodgers kick off this delightful month holding onto first place, though only by half a game over the San Diego Padres. Their month begins in St. Louis as they embark on a six-game road swing, which features a series in Houston.
With a record of 18-13, St. Louis currently sits third in the NL Central, trailing both the Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs. They recently completed a four-game sweep against the Pirates in Pittsburgh, following a home series where they were swept by Seattle.
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Friday’s contest is set to showcase a pitching duel between Matthew Liberatore and Emmet Sheehan. Liberatore holds an 0-1 record with a 6.28 ERA across his six appearances. His most recent outing was his least effective of the season, as he pitched only 3.1 innings and surrendered five earned runs.
Sheehan, conversely, enters this game following one of his strongest performances this year, a game against the Cubs where he pitched 6.1 innings, gave up just one earned run, struck out 10 batters, and issued only one walk.
A matchup against Liberatore might be just what Freddie Freeman needs to overcome his recent slump. Historically, Freeman boasts an impressive .800 batting average and a 1.633 OPS when facing Liberatore. Shohei Ohtani has also hit a home run off him.
A key factor to monitor will be the usage of the Cardinals’ bullpen. Over their last three games, seven relief pitchers have seen substantial action, with six hurlers tossing 30 or more pitches in that span, and five throwing at least 15 pitches just yesterday. Collectively, their bullpen staff carries a 5.15 ERA, ranking as the fifth-worst in baseball, and they possess the fourth-lowest strikeout-to-walk ratio.
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This season, Cardinals baseball has proven to be quite unpredictable. They’ve secured 10 comeback victories, including three walk-off wins. They frequently either squander significant leads, often due to their struggling bullpen, or they battle relentlessly to get back into games. The Red Birds hold a 6-2 record in one-run contests and are undefeated at 5-0 in extra-inning affairs.
After playing 13 consecutive games, the team is optimistic that their much-needed day off will rejuvenate their struggling offense. They concluded their series against the Miami Marlins on a low note, managing a mere three runs over the final two games. Taking on a worn-out bullpen might be the perfect remedy to help their offense rediscover its potent form.
FRIDAY GAME INFO
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Teams: Dodgers vs. Cardinals
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Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)