Home from successful trip, Cards deal with challenge from Tigers

The St. Louis Cardinals completed their most successful road trip of the season, winning seven of nine games in Washington D.C., Philadelphia and Kansas City.

They will try to extend that upward trend during their six-game homestand, beginning Monday night against the Detroit Tigers.

The two Cardinals losses on their trip came by 2-1 scores, against the Phillies last Wednesday and against the Royals on Sunday -- when they left 13 runners on base and went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position.

"We've done a nice job of driving in some runs," St. Louis manager Oliver Marmol said. "(Sunday) we didn't, and that's where it lies."

The Cardinals struggled offensively on Saturday, too, but they prevailed 1-0 behind stellar infield defense, pitching and Jordan Walker's solo home run -- one of two St. Louis hits.

"It's insane. I was talking to (Marmol) before the game, and it feels like everybody on the field. ... It's like we have one of the best defenses in the world," shortstop Masyn Winn told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "I think we all just feed off each other, making great plays, and it fires us all up."

The Cardinals are 15-6 at home this season. Only the Tigers (17-5) and New York Mets (17-5) have fewer losses at home.

After starting the season 14-19 -- and 4-13 on the road -- St. Louis has gone 12-2 overall to climb into the National League Central race.

Sonny Gray (4-1, 4.50 ERA), who is coming off his worst outing of the season, draws Monday's start for the Cardinals. He allowed the Phillies to score seven runs on eight hits and a walk in 3 2/3 innings.

He struck out four batters in that game, which the Cardinals eventually won 14-7 last Wednesday.

Gray has pitched well against the Tigers in his career, posting a 4-2 record and 2.68 ERA in 10 appearances, including nine starts.

The Tigers roll into this series with plenty of momentum of their own. After sweeping the Boston Red Sox in three games at home, the Tigers won two of three games from the Blue Jays in Toronto to push to 15 games over .500.

Detroit has received an offensive boost from first baseman Spencer Torkelson, who is 4-for-13 in his last four games with three walks, a double, two homers and five RBIs.

Torkelson drove in all three runs Sunday as the Tigers edged the Blue Jays 3-2 for their majors-leading 31st victory.

"It's not very hard to stay locked in games like these," Torkelson told FanDuel Sports Network Detroit. "You know, it's kind of the edge on your seat, and you're on your toes even more. So yeah, it's more fun."

Detroit will open the St. Louis series with Keider Montero (1-1, 4.68), who will make his first career appearance against the Cardinals.

Montero didn't make it out of the fourth inning in his most recent start, a game the Tigers eventually won 10-9 over the Boston Red Sox in 11 innings. Montero allowed three runs on five hits and a walk with three strikeouts in 3 1/3 innings.

Prior to that outing, Montero held the Colorado Rockies to one run in eight innings. He allowed five hits and walked three with two strikeouts in the 11-1 victory on May 8.

--Field Level Media