Cardinals Veteran Aims To Stay Hot In Friday Afternoon's Red Sox Series Opener

The St. Louis Cardinals hope to maintain their lead in the National League Central by defeating the American League East-rival Boston Red Sox in Friday afternoon's series opener at Fenway Park.

The two historic franchises, which have met twice in the World Series this century (2004 & 2013), are set to square off in what should be an exciting three-game series this weekend.

The Cardinals, who command a respectable 4-2 record, have appointed a veteran hurler to shut down the 3-4 Red Sox ahead of Friday afternoon's 1:10 PM CDT first pitch.

St. Louis right-handed pitcher Erick Fedde will start Friday afternoon against the Red Sox as he looks to continue where he left off during his first performance of 2025 against the Minnesota Twins on Mar. 29th -- logging one earned run on two hits, two strikeouts and zero walks in six innings pitched while earning his first win of the season.

Fedde recorded the best season of his career last year during his time with the Chicago White Sox and Cardinals -- logging a 9-9 record with a 3.30 ERA, 154-to-52 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .233 batting average against and a 1.16 WHIP in 177 1/3 innings pitched.

The 32-year-old was involved in several trade rumors this past offseason after Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak announced plans to significantly reduce payroll while attempting to create more opportunities for youngsters, such as RHP Michael McGreevy and phenom left-handed pitcher Quinn Matthews.

The former Washington Nationals first-round draft pick has an economical $7.5 million-expiring contract, making him a viable candidate to be dealt at this summer's trade deadline.

Friday afternoon's showdown versus the Red Sox will be a monumental test for Fedde. The series opener in Boston will be the club's first game of the year at Fenway Park, so the Cardinals must play their best to earn their fifth win of the season.