After 'exhausting series,' Cards head home to face Royals

Ahead of an interleague series against the struggling Kansas City Royals, the St. Louis Cardinals continue to find ways to win.

After suffering through three straight years without a postseason appearance, fifth-year manager Oliver Marmol and company have passed tests through the first quarter of this season, going 25-18.

St. Louis will begin Major League Baseball's "Rivalry Weekend" with the opener Friday night of a three-game set vs. the visiting Royals.

The Cardinals are coming off a road trip that saw them go 4-3 against the San Diego Padres and the Athletics. Down to their last out on Thursday, the Cardinals mustered a pair of runs in the ninth inning to steal a 5-4 win over the A's.

"That was a tough series, coming from San Diego to playing here," Marmol said. "That was one of our most exhausting series, so it feels great to be able to take two (vs. the A's)."

Right-hander Dustin May (3-4, 4.85 ERA) will make his ninth start for the Cardinals since signing with the club in December. Following an unimpressive beginning to his time in St. Louis, the 28-year-old is 3-2 with a 2.55 ERA across his last six outings.

May allowed three runs (two earned) on three hits while striking out seven in a 4-2 road loss to the Padres on Saturday. He made his two career starts against Kansas City last season as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox. May struggled in both, going 0-1 with an 8.22 ERA.

Kansas City, meanwhile, is on a four-game losing streak after a three-game sweep by the Chicago White Sox. The Royals have allowed six runs in each of their last four games - dropping the team's ERA to 4.43.

Hoping to serve as a stopper for the rotation, right-hander Michael Wacha (4-2, 2.63 ERA) will look to continue his sizzling start to the month.

Wacha, 34, has allowed just two runs in 14 innings en route to picking up wins over the Cleveland Guardians and Detroit Tigers. Against Detroit on Saturday, he scattered two hits over seven scoreless innings and struck out six in a 5-1 victory.

"I feel like there was a lot to like, for sure," Wacha said of his most recent start. "I felt like I was getting ahead a lot, mixed in a couple four-pitch walks which are never fun, but I got some quick outs, was able to pitch out of some jams, avoid some traffic and get deep into the game."

Wacha spent the first seven years (2013-19) of his career in St. Louis, going 59-39 with a 3.91 ERA in 165 appearances (151 starts). In five starts against his former club, he is 4-0 with a 2.76 ERA.

"He throws a ton of strikes. You're not going to stay around and pitch as effectively for as long as he has without throwing strikes," Royals manager Matt Quatraro said of Wacha. "You can't take it for granted. He takes the ball every fifth day, and he's getting better as he goes. You see him pitch differently to different guys, but he always has the fastball and changeup. He can lean on those anytime he needs to."